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UNIVERSITY  OF  N  C   AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022085672 


This  BOOK  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  was  taken  out  or 
the  day  indicated  below: 


AP.5  S& 

■  " 
087  *  - 


JUL      3  1969 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/americananimallideming 


M- 


AMERICAN  ANIMAL  LIFE 


WITH    TWENTY-FOUR   FULL-PAGE    COLOR-PLATES   AFTER    PAINTINGS   IN    WATER-COLOR 
TOGETHER    WITH    II, LUSTRATIONS    IN    BLACK-AND-WHITE 

By   EDWIN    WILLARD    DEMING 

AND    WITH    STORIES 

By  THERESE   O.   DEMING 


N  E  W    Y  O  R  K 

COPYRIGHT,    1010,   BY 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


THSB®@KIISMfl!CTII®lOTIB.Ylj)IIIOCa"ffI® 

UlfTClSAilKlQa^Sl^AlSlSTTO'fflEBETOiSlalBg 
C3fllLLiMiaWEfflP>IPHIlS!§lB,lLABB# 

®(F¥KiiLfi(DmFM'ra!lB[I 


Printed   in    the   United  States   of  America 


BISON    AND   COYOTE 


HE  only  buffalo  we  know  is  found  in  Asia  and  Africa.  He  is  not  even  a 
distant  cousin  to  the  noble  animal  that  was  known  by  the  same  name 
here.  In  our  stories  we  will  call  every  animal  by  its  right  name  and  instead 
of  speaking'  of  the  buffalo  we  will  call  it  the  bison. 

At  one  time  the  bison  was  found  nearly  all  over  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  especially  on  the  great  grazing  plains  of  the  West.  He  furnished 
the  Red  Men  with  food,  clothes  and  tepee. 

On   the    Great   Central    Plain   the   herds  were  so  large   that   the  whole 
world  (at  least  so  far  as  you  could  see)  seemed  covered  with  an  immense  buffalo  robe,  as 
the  bison  migrated  to  the  North  in  summer  and  to  the  South  in  winter. 

These  great,   lumbering  creatures  of  the  prairies  traveled   in   beaten   trails   and   seldom 

turned  aside  for  anything:   even  the  trains  had  to  wait  until  the  big  herds  should  pass.     If 

icy  waters   intersected  their  trail,  no  matter  how  wide,  deep  or  cold  the  waters   might  be, 

the  bison  would  plunge  right  in  and  swim  across.      Sometimes  thev  found  the  river  frozen, 

but  even  that  did  not  stop  them.      Often  the  weight  of  the  immense  herd  would  break  the 

ice;  then  great  numbers  would  drown.      Such  an  accident  meant  food  in  great  quantity  for 

the  animals  which  haunted  the  shores  of  rivers  and  fed  upon  carrion.      In   1798  Alexander 

r  Henry,  a   Hudson   Bay  factor,  had  his  men  count  the  dead  bison  as  they    floated    down 

*>  the   Mouse    River.      Over   seven    thousand    passed    them    in    one   day ;    these    had    been 

*  drowned    while    trying   to   cross   farther   up    the   stream.      Whole    herds    of    bisons    some- 


BISON    AND    COYOTH 


times  were  burned  to  death  by  prairie  fires,  which  had  been  caused,  perhaps,  by  lightning. 

When  flies  and  insects  became  troublesome,  the  old  bison  would  roll  and  wallow  in 
the  soft  wet  clay.  These  mud-holes  were  called  "wallows"  and  they  are  still  to  be  found 
on  the  praries,  even  though  the  old  bison  has  been  gone  for  many  years. 

The  bison  were  stupid  beasts;  and  their  great  curiosity  was  the  cause  of  their  being 
killed  in  great  numbers.  Like  sheep,  they  followed  their  leader,  and  when  frightened  the 
whole  herd  would  stampede.  The  Indians,  knowing  this  failing,  would  build  little  piles  of 
stone  or  buffalo  chips,  behind  which  the}'  could  hide,  and  when  they  located  a  herd  of  bison, 
a  man,  wearing  a  buffalo  robe,  would  imitate  the  action  of  a  bison,  until  he  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  animals  nearest  him.  These  would  begin  to  follow  him,  and  gradually 
more  and  more  would  follow,  until  the  leaders  were  enticed  into  the  large  opening  of  the  V. 
As  soon  as  the  leaders  entered  the  V,  an  Indian  would  run  from  behind  a  pile  of  stones, 
waving  a  buffalo  robe,  and  soon  the  whole  herd  would  be  rushing  toward  the  small  end  of 
the  V,  and  over  the  cliff  to  death.  Those  coming  behind  pushed  the  leaders  in;  and  soon 
most  of  the  herd  was  being  dressed  for  food,  clothing  and  tepee  for  the  Red  Man.  This 
was  called  a  "piskin"  among  the  Blackfeet  Indians. 

The  bison  is  a  wonderful  beast,  with  his  great  head,  neck,  rump,  shoulders  and  fore  leg- 
covered  with  a  heavy  mass  of  shaggy  hair,  dark  brown  above  and  black  lower  down;  the 
hind  quarters  are  of  a  light  brown  color.  1  he  horns  curve  upward  ;  and  at  the  end  of  his 
tail  there  is  a  great  brown  tassel.      He  carries  his  head  well   down  below  his  shoulders. 

This  beast  was  so  important  to  the  life  of  the  Red  people,  that  it  does  not  seem  strange 
to  think  that  the  old  time  Indian  is  passing  away  with  his  friend  the  bison,  who  has  played 
such  an  important  part  in   his  life,  and    in    his   folk   tales,  which    have   been   brought  down 


BISON    AND   COYOTE 


from  one  generation  to  another,  until  now,  at  this  late  day,  we  are  doing  our  best  to  preserve 
the  wonderful  stones  of  the  old  time,  and  to  make  a  home  for  what  is  left  of  the  bison, 
where  he  will  be  safe  from  harm. 

This  great  fellow  shared  his  prairie  home  with  the  slinking  little  coyote,  who  lives  in 
burrows.  But  he  did  not  have  to  share  his  food;  for  this  sly,  cunning,  greedy  little  fellow 
feeds  upon  rabbits,  mice,  ground-squirrels  and  birds,  although  he  sometimes  eats  the  fruit 
of  the  prickly  pear  and  in  winter  he  is  glad  to  get  the  juniper  berries  or  rose  hips. 

This  cowardly  little  creature  has  many  enemies.  The  Indians  say  that  is  because  he  fell 
asleep  when  man  awarded  bows  to  the  animal  people  and  told  them  which  was  to  be  king. 
Had  he  not  been  such  a  swift  runner,  he  would  never  have  been  able  to  catch  man,  when 
he  awakened.  Man  had  but  one  bow  left,  and  that  was  the  power  of  cunning.  Now,  though 
Coyote  is  a  coward  and  afraid,  he  is  so  cunning  that  he  knows  just  how  to  overcome  all 
troubles,  and  be  master  of  any  situation. 


$ 


COYOTE 


PRONGHORN  AND   PRAIRIE-DOG 


HE  beautiful  little  antelope,  or  pronghorn  as  he  should  rightfully  be  called, 
is  one  of  our  wild  creatures  of  the  West  that,  like  the  bison,  is  rapidly  disap- 
pearing. He  is  one  of  the  swiftest  runners  of  all  our  animal  people;  and  it 
is  a  good  thing  that  he  is,  or  we  might  have  no  pronghorn  at  all  to-day. 

He  belongs  to  a  family  all  by  himself  in  America,  even  though  he  sheds 
his  horns  and  has  to  grow  a  new  pair  every  year  just  as  the  other  animal 
people  of  our  hoofed  family  do.  Still,  his  horns  are  different,  for  he  has  one 
prong  over  each  eye. 

The  Red  people  tell  why  this  little  fellow  is  different,  in  one  way  at  least,  and  they  know 
it  is  his  own  fault.  When  on  the  prairies,  where  the  country  is  very  flat,  this  little  animal 
friend  is  very  fleet  of  foot;  and  the  Red  people  tell  of  the  time,  many  years  ago,  when  the 
animal  people  and  man  people  were  friends.  The  antelope  was  visiting  the  deer  in  his 
rocky  home,  and  some  of  the  little  Red  people  came  to  play  in  the  forest  with  the  forest 
people.  Antelope  thought  he  would  like  to  show  these  little  playmates  how  easily  he  could 
beat  his  deer  friend  at  running  a  race.  I  think  he  was  a  little  too  proud  of  himself,  don't 
you  ? 

"Friend  deer,"  the  antelope  said,  "I  will  bet  my  dew-claws  that  I  can  beat  you  at  racing." 

The  deer  said  he  was  willing  to  try;  and  off  they  started. 

Poor  little  antelope!    He  was  not  used  to  the  thick  timber,  and  the  deer  was,  for  he  had 


«, .. 


mmk. 


PRONGHORN    AND    PRAIRIE-DOG 

been  running  in  the  forest  all  his  lite.  Of  course,  the  little  antelope  lost!  And  of  course 
he  had  to  lose  his  dew-claws;   and  he  has  none  to  this  day. 

When  early  Spanish  explorers  saw  these  little  fellows,  they  spoke  of  them  as  "the  stags 
with  white  patches."  1  heir  hair  is  so  harsh  and  brittle  that  it  cannot  be  used  for  anything; 
but  the  summer  hide  makes  a  very  soft  leather  and  the  Indians  used  it  for  making  fine 
shirts. 

When  the  pronghorn  is  alarmed,  he  stamps  his  front  feet  and  throws  up  the  hair  on  his 
rump — perhaps  he  is  telegraphing  the  sign  oi  danger  to  his  friends. 

A  hunter  who  kills  this  beautiful  creature  should  surely  be  ashamed;  for,  unless  allowed 
to  live  and  grow  in  his  wild  state,  the  pronghorn  will  soon  be  only  a  memory. 

I  lis  yrcat  curiosity  often  leads  him  to  his  death.  Hunters  take  advantage  of  this  strange 
trait  and  tie  a  rag  to  the  end  of  a  gun.  This  they  wave  back  and  forth  for  the  pronghorn 
to  see.  The  poor  little  fellow  is  afraid  at  first,  and  runs;  but  he  turns  to  look  again,  stops, 
and  comes  closer;  then  runs  again.  Soon  the  curiosity  gets  the  better  of  this  creature's 
good  judgment  and  he  comes  closer  and  closer  until  the  poor  beast  is  within  range  of  his 
deceiver's  gun. 

These  animals  travel  in  herds,  like  sheep,  and  they  have  a  wonderfully  keen  sense  of 
sight.  They  have  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  wolves,  and  on  the  broad  plains  where  they 
make  their  homes  they  can  see  great  distances.  On  account  of  this  sly  enemy,  the  prong- 
horn eats  a  moment  and  then  raises  his  head  to  look  around. 

But  this  little  brother  of  the  plains  is  not  afraid  of  his  small  neighbors,  the  prairie-dogs, 
who  build  their  homes  in  colonies  or  little  dog-towns,  sometimes  many  miles  in  extent. 

These  dogs  would  be  very  happy  in  their  prairie  home — tor  they  never  wander  far  from 


PRONGHORN    AND    PRAIRIE-DOG 

a  hole  to  dive  into  at  the  approach  of  danger — were  it  not  for  the  rattlesnake.  That  wicked 
fellow  just  takes  any  home  he  likes.  He  never  knocks,  but  just  crawls  into  the  home  of  any 
little  dog;  and  the  poor  fellow  cannot  drive  him  out.  As  soon  as  a  prairie-dog  finds  that 
a  snake  has  taken  his  home,  he  and  his  neighbors  plaster  the  opening  of  that  home  shut; 
so  the  intruder  has  to  find  a  way  to  escape  or  else  dies. 

The  little  prairie-dog  wants  to  stay;   lor  he  and  his  pronghorn  friends  love  the  same  great 
open  plains,  they  eat  the  same  food,  and  they  fear  the  same  enemy — the  coyote. 


PRAIRIh    DOG 


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DEER   PEOPLE 


E  graceful  and  beautiful  mule  deer  roams  from  the  valley,  where  the  south 
wind  breathes  life  into  everything,  to  the  mountain  tops,  where  snow  and  ice 
are  always  found. 

The  buck,  or  male  deer,  carries  a  pair  of  solid  horns,  which  proclaim  him 

head  of  his  family,  and  he  leads  his  small  band,  stopping  to  eat  the  fresh 

o'rass   in   the  coulees  and  on  banks  of  the  streams  or  brooklets  that  wend 

their  way  down  the  mountain-side. 

During  the  summer  the  deer  obtains  food  easily,  as  he  feasts  upon  grasses,  mosses,  lichens, 

and  berries;  but  when  winter  comes  he  has  to  dig  through  the  snow  and  ice  with  his  sharp 

hoofs,  or  browse  upon  the  buds  of  trees. 

With  the  approach  of  February  and  March,  the  bucks  leave  their  open  and  happy  play- 
ground for  the  denser  and  overgrown  woodlands.  At  that  time  of  every  year  they  lose  their 
horns  and  hide  from  the  female  deer  and  from  their  greatest  enemy,  the  wolf.  They  are 
too  vain  to  let  the  doe  see  them  without  their  crown.  During  this  retreat  the  bucks  become 
very  docile  and  live  at  peace  with  their  fellow  deer  while  awaiting  Dame  Nature's  pleasure 
to  produce  a  new  pair  of  horns  with  which  to  protect  themselves. 

When  the  horns  first  appear  they  are  covered  with  a  very  fine,  velvety  skin,  which,  after 
they  are  full  grown,  is  rubbed  off  on  saplings;  but  an  extra  prong  has  been  added  to  the 
crown,  which  tells  of  an  additional  year  for  the  wearer. 


DLER   PEOPLE 

With  his  new  set  of  horns,  the  buck  resumes  his  warlike  nature.  He  leaves  his  hiding- 
place  and  many  and  fierce  are  the  battles  he  fights  with  his  brother  deer.  He  also  resumes 
his  leadership  and  is  ever  on  the  alert,  listening  and  watching  for  approaching  danger.  1  Ie 
hears  the  slightest  noise.  Raisin"-  his  head,  he  makes  good  use  of  his  acute  sense  of  hearing 
and  smelling.  If  the  noise  be  repeated,  he  snorts,  stamps  his  cloven  hoofs,  and  calls  Ins 
family  of  does  and  fawns  to  retreat.  A  hunter  will  often  shoot  a  fawn,  then  await  the 
mother's  return;  for  the  mother-love  in  the  deer  family  is  so  great  that  she  will  come  back 
to  find  her  lost  baby — and  so  lose  her  life. 

The  wind  is  the  trusted  friend  of  the  animal  people,  and  will  always  warn  them,  if  it  be 
possible,  of  the  enemy's  approach.  The  wind  carries  the  scent  of  the  hunter  to  the  delicate 
nostrils  of  the  deer;  and  if,  by  chance,  the  hunter  makes  even  the  slightest  noise,  the  wind 
carries  the  sound  to  their  sensitive  ears.  On  account  of  this  knowledge  gained  by  his 
enemy,  man  and  animal,  the  deer  is  often  surprised,  as  the  hunter  tries  to  approach  his 
game  against  the  wind. 

Among  the  Cherokee  Indians  the  deer  was  never  killed  except  when  the  Red  people 
were  in  need  of  food.  These  Indians  tell  of  the  long  ago,  of  the  time  when  the  Red  peo- 
ple and  the  animal  people  lived  and  talked  together.  Little  Deer  was  chief  of  the  deer 
people  at  that  time;  and  when  the  Red  people  began  to  kill  deer  and  other  animals  with  the 
bow  and  arrow,  for  food  and  clothing,  the  animal  people  declared  war  against  the  Red  people 
and  went  into  the  forest  to  live,  away  from  the  haunts  of  man.  The  deer  people  called  a 
council,  and  it  was  decided  that  if  man  killed  deer  for  food,  he  would  be  forgiven,  provided 
he  apologized  and  begged  pardon  of  the  drops  of  blood  ;  but  if  he  should  forget  to  ask 
pardon,  Little  Deer  would  follow  the  hunter  into  the  settlement  and  make  him  a  helpless 


DEER   PEOPLE 


They  have  been  known,  with  the  aid 


cripple  with  rheumatism.  When  the  Red  hunter  forgets  to  ask  pardon  for  an  offense 
against  the  deer  people,  he  builds  a  fire  on  his  home  trail ;  for  that  alone  will  make  the  Spirit 
of  Little  Deer  turn  back. 

The  Red  people  used  the  deer  for  food  and  dress, 
of  a  lew  inches  of  snow,  to  run  down  a  deer  within 
twenty-four  hours. 

In  America  we  have  three  kinds  of  deer:  the 
black-tail,  the  white-tail,  and  the  mule  deer;  but 
each  has  chosen  a  home  for  himself,  and  did  we 
not  know  they  were  cousins  we  would  wonder  it 
they  were  related  at  all,  they  have  chosen  homes 
so  far  apart.  The  black-tail  deer  has  selected  the 
land  of  big  trees  and  rain  for  his  home;  the  white- 
tail  lives  in  the  timber  and  brush,  where  he  can 
hide  easily  from  his  enemies;  while  the  mule  deer 
lives  in  the  foot-hills  and  open  country,  where  he 
can  see  for  a  great  distance.  He  is  the  largest  of 
these  three  members  ol  the  deer  family. 


-. 


DEER 


MOOSE   AND   BEAVER 


^TyN  the  evergreen  forests  of  Canada,  northern  United  States,  and  Alaska,  lives  the 
/  largest  member  of  the  deer  family.  He  is  so  big,  so  homely,  and  so  differ- 
ent from  any  wild  beast  of  to-day,  that  one  wonders  if  he  is  not  of  the  pre- 
historic times.  His  ears  are  long,  his  tail  is  short,  and  his  great  upper  lip 
protrudes  well  over  the  lower.  Poor  beast,  his  legs  are  so  long  that  it  he 
wants  to  feed  upon  grass  or  herbs  growing  on  level  ground,  his  short  neck 
won't  reach  down,  and  lie  has  to  kneel  or  find  a  more  hilly  feeding-ground; 
but,  then,  he  is  not  a  grazing  animal,  like  his  deer  cousins,  but  browses  upon  leaves,  bark, 
or  twigs  of  trees,  and  also  eats  the  lichens  and  mosses  that  hang  from  the  trees.  Strange 
to  say,  this  great,  almost  prehistoric,  creature  loves  the  water,  and  his  choicest  dainty  is 
said  to  be  the  roots  of  the  yellow  spatter-docks.  Surely,  he  must  love  the  busy  little  beaver, 
which  lives  in  all  the  streams,  for  it  builds  dams  and  makes  lakes  where  the  lily  pads  will 
grow. 

lave  you  ever  seen  the  little  beaver?  He  loves  the  water  as  well  as  the  land,  and  his 
hind  feet  are  completely  webbed.  He  is  not  very  large,  though,  he  is  one  of  the  largest 
rodents.  He  can,  with  his  big  teeth,  cut  down  a  tree  for  building  a  dam.  He  has  a  broad, 
flat  tail,  but  he  uses  it  only  to  help  him  swim,  or  sometimes  when  danger  is  approaching  he 
slaps  the  water  with  it,  and  instantly  all  his  brothers  disappear. 

Wherever  the  beaver  builds  his  dam,  the  water  is  less  swift,  and  the  lily  pads  grow  more 


MOOSE   AND    BEAVER 


thickly.  The  moose  loves  to  wander  through  the  dense  thickets  that  grow  around  the 
lakes,  bogs,  and  streams  of  the  forest;  but  when  he  hears  a  sound  he  holds  his  great  muz- 
zle up,  lays  his  massive  crown  of  palmated  horns  back  on  his  shoulders — to  avoid  the 
branches — and  then  runs,  with  a  clumsy,  shuffling  gait.  To  increase  his  speed  he  simply 
lengthens  his  stride;  and  his  hoofs  make  a  queer,  clanking  noise  as  he  trots  along.  When 
he  finds  a  log  in  his  way,  no  matter  how  high  it  may  be,  he  does  not  stop  to  jump  over; 
he  never  changes  his  gait,  but  steps  a  little  higher.  These  same  long  legs  help  him  when 
he  reaches  up  to  peel  the  bark  from  young  trees,  or  to  bite  off  the  tender  shoots. 

In  winter  the  moose  live  in  the  pine  woods  in  the  hilly  country,  where  they  can  browse 
upon  the  bark  and  the  juicy  evergreens.  Several  families  live  together;  and  when  the  snow 
begins  to  get  very  deep  they  break  trails  over  several  acres,  where  they  can  travel  to  find 
food.  These  places  are  called  "moose  yards";  and  here  they  pass  the  hardest  part  of  the 
winter,  sometimes  enlarging  their  yards  as  food  becomes  scarce.  With  the  coming  of  spring, 
they  start  for  the  lakes  and  streams  again. 

In  the  fall,  when  the  bull  moose  bugles  for  a  mate,  the  cow  moose  answers  with  a  low 
call.  Her  call  is  imitated  by  hunters,  who  use  a  birch-bark  trumpet,  and  the  poor  bull 
moose  comes  on,  to  answer  the  call.  Many  times  the  moose,  called  in  this  way,  rushes 
through  the  woods  and  is  almost  upon  the  hunter  before  he  is  ready.  Then  the  hunter 
becomes  the  hunted  and  flees  for  safety. 

The  moose  is  the  main  support  of  the  Indians  in  the  Northeast;  and  they  waste  no  part 
of  him.      His  own  shin  bone  supplies  the  scraper  with  which  to  scrape  his  own  hide. 

From  the  neck  of  this  strange  beast  hangs  a  pendent  mass  of  hair,  called  a  bell.  The 
Indians  tell  how  the  Evil  Spirit,  trying  to  convince  the  Indians  that  he  was  stronger  than 


MOOSE    AND    BEAVER 


the  Great  Spirit,  struck  a  moose  which  had  rushed  into  the  circle,  and  pulled  a  piece  of 
skin  from  the  poor  fellow's  chin.  "You  will  always  carry  that  mark,"  he  said,  "so  these 
people  cannot  iorget  how  strong  I  am!"  And  the  moose  always  carries  his  bell.  Then  the 
Evil  Spirit  put  his  hand  against  the  poor  animal's  face  and  pushed  him  out  of  the  ring. 
The  push  he  gave  the  beast  was  so  awful  that  he  flattened  the  face;  and  that  is  why  the 
moose  is  so  ugly.  Just  then  the  Good  Spirit  heard.  He  sent  a  tremendous  flash  of  light- 
ning and  a  great  peal  of  thunder.  When  the  Indians  could  see  again,  they  looked  for  the 
Evil  Spirit;  and  all  they  saw  was  a  small  pile  ot  ashes.  But  they  could  never  forget  him 
nor  his  strength,  for  when  they  hunt  the  moose  they  always  see  his  homely  face  and  the  bell 
which  hanos  from  his  chin  to  this  very  daw 


BtAVEK 


I 


:J 


■  ■  .,..,■,,;..       .^.f^.-  ■  l_ 


, -:.-;  ,*_ i 


_^_ — 


^J 


ELK   AND   SABLE 


CK  there  roamed  over  three-fourths  of  this  great  America  the  beautiful,  graceful 
elk,  king  of  all  the  deer  family,  with  his  wonderful  crown  ot  horn;  but,  like  all 
other  things  of  the  very  old  time,  he  has  been  driven  back  to  the  fastnesses  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  where  he  still  lives,  and  where  he  herds  his  bands  and  watches 
for  all  the  dangers  that  threaten  his  family. 

Like  many  of  our  wild  animals,  he  was  misnamed  by  early  explorers  and  set- 
tlers;  for  the  elk  of  the  Old  World  is  just  like  our  moose,  and  our  elk  claims  to 
be  a  cousin  of  the  stag  or  red  deer  of  Europe. 

Our  Indians  called  the  beautiful  elk.  Wapiti,  and  if  our  country  were  not  so  full  of  people 
it  might  be  easy  to  give  the  graceful  creature  that  beautiful  name,  because  it  belongs  to 
him.  We  will  call  him  Wapiti  in  our  story.  If  we  could  stop  all  hunters  who  kill  him,  we 
would  not  have  to  fear  that  sometime  this  great  creature  will  be  gone  like  the  bison. 

Wapiti,  the  master,  gathers  together  a  little  herd  of  cows,  and  these  are  his  family.  He 
leads  them  to  the  best  feeding-grounds  and  watches  and  listens  for  all  dangers.  He  fears, 
among  other  things,  that  a  bull  larger  and  stronger  than  he  might  come  along  and  take  the 
band  away.  When  this  happens,  the  master  must  fight,  and  it  he  proves  the  weaker,  he  has 
to  give  up  his  band,  and  the  family  has  a  new  master. 

In  the  summer  these  animal  people  are  greatly  worried  by  flies  and  mosquitoes;  then 
they  will  rush  for  water  and  stand  in  a  stream  for  hours,  to  protect  themselves  from  these 


ELK   AND   SABLE 


little  pests.      The  old  bull  will  roll  and  wallow  in  mud-holes — and  then    King  Wapiti  does 
not  look  so  kingly  ! 

Toward  winter,  the  master  gathers  his  band  together  and  they  wander  about  until  they 
find  a  good  sheltered  spot  for  a  winter  feeding-ground.  Wapiti  has  a  good  appetite  and  is 
not  too  particular  about  what  he  finds  for  dinner.  He  eats  all  the  grasses,  herbs,  lichens, 
and  most  of  the  weeds,  but  he  loves  the  leaves  and  twigs  of  trees.  Wapiti's  deer  cousins 
feed  mostly  at  night,  but  Wapiti  prefers  to  rest  at  night  and  eat  his  meals  in   the   daytime. 

While  the  family  feeds,  the  master  of  the  herd  watches  and  listens  for  any  danger  that 
might  threaten  his  cows,  and  if  he  hears,  smells,  or  sees  anything  strange,  he  calls  his  family 
together  and  drives  it  to  safety. 

All  the  lawns  of  the  deer  family  wear  little  spotted  suits  of  baby-clothes,  and  even  the 
male  has  no  horns;  but  when  the  little  fellow  i^ets  to  be  about  two  vears  old  he  is  the  proud 
possessor  of  two  long  spikes.  He  shows  them  to  all  his  sisters  and  his  mother,  and  tries 
them  on  his  brothers,  he  is  so  proud  of  them.  You  may  well  imagine,  then,  the  surprise  of 
this  proud  fellow  when  he  loses  his  spikes  completely,  about  March.  The  little  fellow  is  so 
much  ashamed  of  himself  that  he  hides  in  the  dense  forests,  where  he  finds  many  other 
brother  Wapiti  without  the  crown  they  had  worn  all  winter.  There  these  brothers  live  at 
peace  with  each  other.  They  are  so  weak  and  so  much  strength  is  used  up  to  grow  a  new 
pair  that  they  do  not  care  to  be  quarrelsome. 

Soon  the  horns  begin  to  grow  again,  but  they  are  covered  with  a  soft  skin,  and  then  the 
horns  are  said  to  be  in  velvet.  (Jan  you  guess  what  has  happened?  Wapiti  has  had  a  new 
prong  added  to  his  crown,  and  all  this  has  taken  only  tour  months!  Now  \\  apiti  is  proud 
again.      He  goes  forth  to  find  a  new  family,  and   forgets   the  tragedies   he  saw  in   the  pine 


ELK   AND   SABLE 


woods,  where  the  pine-marten  or  American  sable  jumps  from  tree  to  tree  in  pursuit  of  the 
little  tree-dwellers  or  chases  a  poor  little  hare,  which  knows  there  is  little  hope  for  its  life,  as 
the  sable  is  of  the  weasel  family  and  does  not  rest  until  it  has  caught  its  prey. 

The  sable's  coat  is  so  valuable  that  he  is  trapped  and  killed  to  furnish  furs  to  keep  man 
warm  in  winter. 


w  * 


.,  "vWJH 


SABLE 


CARIBOU  AND  ARCTIC  HARE 


'HEN  you  open  your  geography  to  the  map  of  the  North  and  begin  to 
study  of  the  Arctic,  do  you  not  wonder  how  the  men  who  go  so  far  up 
there  to  make  these  maps,  live?  Of  course,  you  will  say,  they  take  all 
sorts  of  provisions  with  them.  They  must  do  that;  but,  in  addition, 
they  must  have  fresh  meat,  and  for  this  they  have  to  depend  upon  what- 
ever animals  make  that  country  their  home.  One  of  our  greatest 
explorers  went  into  this  cold,  unknown  country,  carrying  with  him  pro- 
visions for  sixtv  days  and  plenty  of  ammunition  ;  he  stayed  there  for  nearly  two  years,  living' 
upon  what  the  country  afforded. 

One  of  the  most  curious  animals  which  have  chosen  this  country  for  their  home  is  the 
barren-ground  caribou.  To  the  Eskimo  and  also  to  many  other  Indian  tribes,  the  caribou 
is  most  important,  as  it  furnishes  food  and  clothing  for  them. 

Our  boys  and  girls  will  be  interested  to  know  that  the  caribou  is  the  reindeer  of  America; 
although  the  real  reindeer  has  been  brought  over  from  Lapland  and  thrives  in  our  North 
Country. 

The  caribou  is  a  member  of  the  deer  family;  but  the  mother  caribou  earn'  horns,  too, 
though  very  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  male  caribou. 

The  horns  of  these  queer  animal  people  are  very  much  alike  and  yet  no  two  pairs  seem 
the  same.     The  horns  are  partly  palmated,  which  means  broad  and  flat,  with  projections 


QegiOEMMUi 


-.-1 


CARIBOU  AND  ARCTIC  HARE 

like  fingers;  the  legs  are  thick  and  strong;  and  the  hoofs  expand  and  flatten,  so  that  they 
act  almost  as  snowshoes.  The  caribou  walk  and  run  with  a  slow,  swinging  gait;  and  as 
they  roam  about,  the  dew-claws  and  hoofs  strike  together,  making  a  queer,  clanking  sound. 
The  heavy  coat  is  almost  like  a  soft,  warm  mat  near  the  body;  and  the  long,  coarse  hair, 
growing  through,  acts  as  a  raincoat. 

These  strange  people  of  the  Arctic  gather  in  great  herds  and,  on  account  of  the  climate, 
migrate  in  the  spring  far  to  the  North,  where  they  wander  over  the  great  frozen  regions,  keep- 
ing1 to  the  low,  barren  grounds  all  summer  and  feeding  upon  such  things  as  grow  on  these 
desolate  shores.  In  the  fall  they  begin  traveling  southward,  to  spend  the  winter  in  the  forests, 
which  afford  some  protection  from  the  bitter  winds  and  the  fierce  storms  of  this  cold  coun- 
try. Here  they  eat  the  mosses  that  hang  from  the  trees,  and  browse  upon  the  branches  of 
the  juicy  evergreens. 

The  caribou  changes  his  clothing  twice  a  vear.  He  must  be  very  vain!  In  the  summer 
he  wears  a  suit  of  brown,  to  match  the  colors  in  the  barren  marshes  where  he  loves  to  live; 
but  in  the  fall  his  hair  grows  longer,  thicker,  and  much  lighter.  By  midwinter  and  toward 
early  spring  the  coat  is  smoky  white,  very  nearly  the  color  of  a  snowstorm  in  the  woods,  or 
of  the  mosses  that  hang  from  the  trees,  while  the  great  horns  look  almost  as  if  they  might  be 
dead  branches  of  trees  in  the  woodlands.  This  is  Mother  Nature's  way  of  giving  each 
animal  a  chance  to  protect  himself  from  his  enemies. 

For  this  very  same  reason  the  little  Arctic  hare  keeps  on  its  coat  of  white  all  the  year 
round.  This  little  fellow,  who  shares  the  wintry,  frozen  Northland  with  the  caribou,  burrows 
a  hole  in  a  snowdrift  for  his  home,  or  crawls  under  a  friendly  ledge  of  rock  which  seems  to 
be  waiting  to  protect  the  pretty,  timid  creature. 


CARIBOU  AND  ARCTIC  HARE 


During  the  long,  dim  winter  the  Arctic  hare  stays  close  to  a  snowdrift.  This  is  for  pro- 
tection from  the  great  Arctic  owl,  who  is  always  ready  to  pounce  upon  and  carry  him  off. 
Still,  this  little  fellow  can  run  very  swiftly;  and  his  gift  from  the  Great  Spirit  was  a  keen 
sense  of  sight,  scent,  and  hearing. 


ARCTIC    HARE 


SEAL  AND  SEA-LION 


)EALS  arc  meat-eating  animals,  with  bodies  more  suited  for  life  in  the 
water  than  on  land,  yet  they  often  come  out  of  the  water  and  make  a 
strange  picture  trying  clumsily  to  paddle  their  way  over  land.  Seals  live  in 
almost  all  oceans,  but  are  more  plentiful  toward  the  Poles  than  anywhere 
else.  1  heir  young  wear  a  white,  woolly  coat  and  live  on  an  ice-cake  with 
their  mother,  read}'  to  jump  into  the  water  at  the  first  sign  of  danger. 
The  fur  seal  is  not  plentiful,  being  greatly  reduced  by  the  hunters,  who 
kill  him  for  his  wonderful  coat;  but  he  is  not  the  seal  so  important  to  those  who  make  their 
home  or  work  in  the  frozen  North,  nor  is  he  found  as  near  the  Poles.  Many  an  explorer 
would  have  starved  to  death  were  it  not  for  the  seal  and  the  polar  bear.  The  seal  furnishes 
light,  heat,  lood  and  clothing  tor  these  North  people. 

An  Eskimo  will  sit  on  a  cake  of  ice,  near  the  breathing-hole  of  a  seal,  and  with  the  point 
of  his  spear  will  scrape  the  ice.  The  seal  is  a  most  curious  creature  and  must  find  out 
what  the  strange  noise  may  mean.  He  will  come  up,  a  long  way  off,  and  try  to  find  out  it 
the  strange  object  on  the  ice  be  friend  or  foe.  If  the  Eskimo  should  be  wearing  a  white  suit, 
the  seal  will  dive  under  the  water  and  not  come  up  again  until  he  is  at  least  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  away  ;  because  he  is  sure  his  Northland  enemy,  the  bear,  is  hunting  him;  but  if 
the  P^sknno  should  be  dressed  in  a  dark  suit  of  fur,  the  seal  will  think  he  may  be  a  brother, 
and  swim  within  fifty  yards  to  find  out  what  the  strange  hummock  on  the  ice  really  is.  He 
will  swim  slowly  all  around  the  object,  looking  at  it  all  the  time. 


SEAL   AND   SEA-LION 


When  the  seal  is  fat  he  will  weigh  about  two  hundred  pounds;  one  hundred  pounds  of 
this  being-  blubber  and  the  other  hundred  flesh  and  bones. 

The  Eskimo  sometimes  go  to  the  edge  of  the  ice  and  set  nets  to  catch  seals,  and  often 
five  or  six  are  caught  in  a  single  night.  A  great  deal  of  this  catch  is  prepared  for  the  long 
winter.  To  do  this  the  Eskimo  carefully  skin  a  seal,  making  as  small  a  cut  in  the  hide  as 
possible.  This  bag,  or  "poke,"  is  filled  as  tightly  as  they  can  pack  it  with  seal  blubber  cut 
up  into  small  pieces;  then  it  is  set  aside  until  it. is  ready  for  use.  This  is  considered  a  great 
delicacy  among  the  Eskimo. 

After  the  seal  poke  has  been  standing  all  summer  and  become  oil-soaked  it  is  called  an 
Av-wa-tah-pak  and  is  waterproof.  When  the  oil-soaked  bag  is  empty  the  women  scrape  the 
inside  until  it  is  clean,  but  they  leave  the  hair  on  the  outside,  and  of  this  they  make  the  win- 
ter boots.  Some  of  the  Eskimo  like  these  boots  made  with  the  hair  inside,  as  this  keeps  the  feet 
very  warm.  Others  prefer  leaving  the  hair  outside;  but  when  worn  this  way  the  hair 
gathers  snow  and  ice  and  makes  traveling  very  hard.  These  are  the  boots  for  winter  wear; 
to  make  the  summer  boots  the  women  carefully  scrape  the  sealskin  both  inside  and  outside. 
This  makes  a  very  thin  and  pliable  boot,  which,  after  it  has  soaked  in  seal-oil,  is  also  water- 
proof. 

The  Ugruk,  or  walrus  hide,  is  used  for  making  the  soles  of  their  boots.  This  walrus  is  a 
very  large  fellow,  and  is  not  very  common. 

To  get  the  greatest  amount  of  work  out  of  their  dogs,  explorers  feed  them  as  much  blub- 
ber as  they  will  eat.  This  gives  heat  and  strength  and  enables  the  dogs  to  travel  faster  with 
the  sleds. 

In  the  summer  months,  when  the  seals  are  very  thin,  they  sink  one  minute  after  they  have 


SEAL   AND   SEA-LION 


been  killed.      If  the  Eskimo  are  hunting  in  kyaks,  it  is  easy  to  reach  a  seal  before  he  goes 
clown,  but  when  the  Eskimo  are  sitting  on  a  cake  of  ice  it  is  difficult  to  get  their  game;   so 
they  use  a  "nixy,"  which  they  have  become  very  expert  in  throwing.    A  nixy  is  a  long  rope 
with  a  hook  at  one  end,  and  it  is  used  in  very  much  the 
same  way  that  a  boy  throws  a  sling.    The  Eskimo  are 
so  expert  at  throwing  the  nixy  and  catching  the  seal 
with  the  hook  before  he  can  go  down,  that  they  seldom 
lose  their  same. 

The  sea-lion  and  the  seal  are  very  different  animals. 
The  seal  has  a  short  neck,  while  the  sea-lion's  neck  is 
long.  His  front  flippers  are  simply  paddles  while  his 
hind  flippers  are  web  toes. 

These  fellows  are  not  only  more  active  in  the  water 
than  the  seals,  but  they  can  climb  rocks  and  high  cliffs 
with  the  greatest  ease.  They  are  the  animals  we  always 
see  in  the  zoological  parks. 

The  largest  sea-lions  in  the  world  are  found  in  a  few 
isolated  spots.  Some  oi  the  male  specimens  are  from 
ten  to  eleven  leet  in  length,  weighing  about  fourteen 
hundred  pounds,  and  are  known  as  Steller's  sea-lions.  Among  themselves,  these  great  fel- 
lows fight  awful  battles;  but,  like  all  other  wild  folk,  they  have  learned  to  fear  man.  At  the 
sight  of  a  human  being  they  have  been  known  to  jump  into  the  water  from  cliffs  sixty  feet 
high,  to  escape  their  enemy. 


SEA-LION 


MUSK-OX  AND  WHITE  WOLF 


AY  up  in  the  frozen  North,  where  the  long,  dark  nights  are  cold  and  fierce, 
there  lives  the  strangest  of  all  our  large  animals.  I  lis  body  looks  like 
an  oblong  mass  of  very  long,  wavy,  brown  hair,  supported  upon  short  legs, 
that  look  like  posts,  partly  hidden  by  his  long  hair.  His  tail. is  only  three 
¥  inches  long  and  almost  invisible.  The  top  of  his  head  is  covered  by  a 
pair  of  enormous  horns,  flattened  at  the  base  and  meeting  in  the  center  of 
his  forehead;  from  here  they  cross  the  head  and  curve  downward,  close 
to  the  cheek,  and  finally  upward  to  a  point. 

It  is  hard  to  imagine  how  these  animals  get  food  in  the  dark  months.  Of  course  there 
are  ridge  crests  kept  clear  of  snow  by  blizzards  and  heavy  winds,  and  the}'  probably  dig 
through  snow  and  ice  for  grass,  willow,  and  saxifrage,  but  when  spring  comes  these  strange 
creatures  look  as  if  they  had  been  well  fed. 

Like  the  caribou  this  creature  has  a  fine,  soft,  dense,  light  brown  wool  next  to  his  skin, 
for  warmth,  through  which  neither  cold  nor  wet  can  penetrate,  as  the  long,  coarse  hair 
sheds  the  ram  and  snow.  This  long  woolly  coat  of  the  musk-ox  is  highly  valued  by  the 
Eskimo,  who  use  it  for  main'  things. 

'1  he  legs  of  the  musk-ox  are  very  short,  with  the  queerest  of  hoofs.  Each  hoof  is  divided 
into  two  parts,  the  two  hoofs  of  each  foot  are  not  symmetrical,  and  the  lower  surface  is  par- 
tial!}' covered  with  hair. 


U4D&iftyn4 


MUSK-OX    AND    WHITK    WOLF 


The  musk-oxen  travel  in  bands  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty;  many  times  in  greater  numbers, 
especiallv  in  winter.  In  summer  the  bulls  travel  alone,  while  the  cows  and  calves  wander 
about  in  small  bands.  At  this  time  of  year,  their  food  consists  almost  exclusively  of  the 
leaves  of  small  willows,  scattered  about  here  and  there  over  the  Barren  Ground,  but,  also, 
they  eat  grass,  lichens,  mosses,  and  probably  bark. 

The  musk-ox,  when  hunted  by  man  or  beast,  turns  to  challenge  his  enemv,  and  stands 
perfectly  still,  facing  him.  This  habit,  so  fatal  to  the  poor  beast  when  hunted,  is  all  that 
saves  him  from  destruction.  The  cow  musk-oxen  gather  in  a  circle  about  the  calves,  to  pro- 
tect them  and  defy  their  natural  enemy,  the  white  wolves  (who  infest  the  Barren  Ground 
m  big  packs)  to  attack. 

In  spite  of  their  short  legs,  the  musk-oxen  can  run  with  considerable  speed;  they  are 
even  said  to  climb  steep  cliffs  and  then  turn  around  to  defy  the  hunters. 

This  wonderful  inhabitant  «>f  the  far  North  is  looked  upon  as  a  god  by  the  Kskimo,  and 
they  feel  sure  that  if  the  white  man  be  allowed  to  carry  off  a  live  musk-ox,  the  musk-oxen 
will  disappear  and  never  come  back  again. 

One  year  a  white  man  was  sent  to  get  some  calves  for  a  museum.  He  worked  hard, 
roped  four  calves  and  was  bringing  them  home  safely  when  some  of  the  Eskimo  crept 
upon  their  camp  at  night,  while  they  were  asleep,  and  killed  every  calf.  They  would  not 
dare  allow  a  live  musk-ox  to  go  out  of  the  country. 

The  worst  enemy  the  musk-ox  has  is  the  great  white  wolf.  These  wolves  travel  about 
in  packs  and  attack  the  cakes.  Then  the  musk-oxen  gather  in  groups  around  the  calves 
and  protect  them.    This  savage  beast  will  attack  even  man  and  dog  when  he  is  desperately 


MUSK-OX    AND    WHITE    WOLF 

hungry.      Dogs  are  invaluable  to  the  Eskimo,  and  when  they  are  attacked  and  bitten  by 
wolves  it  means  death  inside  of  three  days,  as  the}7  are  sure  to  get  rabies. 

This  great  wolt  slinks  along  like  a  shadow  and,  like  all  other  Arctic  folk,  he  wears  a 
dress  of  pure  white.  The  Eskimo  dread  him  and  always  try  to  kill  him  before  he  has  a 
chance  to  destroy  their  dogs. 


WHITE    WOLF 


2 


it 


/ 


>EMi()Em*7U, 


TIMBER-WOLF  AND  BADGER 


^LINKING,  creeping  along,  like  great  ghostly  shadows,  the  wandering,  unsettled, 
restless,  gray  wolves  hunt  up  and  down  the  country,  in  great  packs.  They 
prefer  the  wind-blown  prairies  of  the  West,  where  they  followed  the  herds 
o{  bison  in  the  old  time,  when  the  bison  and  Indians  owned  all  the  great 
West,  but  now  they  follow  the  cattle. 

They  rarely  attacked  the  old  bulls  or  cow  bison,  unless  these  happened 
to  be  wounded  or  crippled,  but  they  were  after  the  calves.  Sometimes  in  the  winter  when 
the  snow  was  deep  the  very  old  bulls  used  to  wander  off  all  by  themselves ;  these  the  wolf 
pack  would  attack  and  hamstring. 

The  pack  generally  consisted  of  the  old  female,  the  most  savage  of  the  pack,  and  her  lull- 
grown  family.  If  one  of  the  pack  scented  a  game  trail,  that  one  would  give  the  hunting 
call,  and  others  would  join  him  from  all  around,  to  give  chase.  It  the  game  should  be  a 
deer,  the  wolves  would  hamstring  him,  or  the}'  would  pimp  at  his  throat,  and  kill  him. 
They  will  even  attack  a  big  moose  when  he  is  alone,  just  as  they  would  a  bison. 

This  large,  powerful  beast  is  savage,  and  he  will  follow  herds  ot  sheep,  killing  twenty  or 
thirty  at  a  time,  just  to  satisfy  his  terrible  love  lor  killing.  The  wolf  also  loves  to  hunt  in 
the  shadows  of  the  dense,  dark  swamps  and  tamaracks  of  the  North,  and  in  the  heavy  tim- 
ber of  the  Rockies,  where  game  is  plentiful.  When  hungry,  tins  gray,  ghostly  shadow  will 
sometimes  slink  along  for  hours,  following  a  hunter  carrying  game;  but  he  will  seldom 
attack  a  man,  unless  he  should  run  or  try  to  get  away.     Sometimes  the  hunter  will  drop 


TIMBER-WOLF  AND    BADGER 

his  game;  then  the  cowardly  fellow  will  stop  to  devour  it;  and  if  the  hunter  were  to  fire  a 
shot  into  the  pack  and  wound  one  of  the  wolves,  the  others  would  jump  upon  the  wounded 
brother  and  tear  him  to  pieces. 

Some  ol  the  old  Indian  dogs  were  pure  gray  wolves  and  some  were  coyotes. 

The  mother  wolf  usually  has  four  or  five  and  sometimes  six  young;  these  she  cares  for 
very  tenderly,  while  the  father  wolf  provides  food  for  her. 

He  is  one  of  the  most  cunning  of  animals,  and  therefore  the  hardest  to  catch.  I  Ie  knows 
better  than  to  be  caught  in  a  trap;  and  he  has  been  known  to  carry  for  a  long  distance  a 
piece  of  meat  into  which  poison  has  been  put,  and  then  drop  it. 

lie  is  such  a  ghostly  beast,  that  the  old  Indians  tell  a  tale  which  would  almost  make  us 
believe  the  Indians  knew  all  about  "keeping  the  wolf  from  the  door."  They  tell  a  folk- 
tale of  an  old  Indian  woman  with  her  pack  of  phantom  wolves.  She  leads  them  out  of  her 
cave,  and  then  they  gradually  spread  and  spread,  until  they  devastate  the  country,  and  the 
Indians  suffer  famine  The  raven  is  her  forerunner,  and  when  the  Indians  see  a  big  raven 
flying  along  the)'  look  sharply  for  tear  they  will  see  the  old  woman  and  her  wolves  following. 

This  great  big  wolf  goes  slinking  about  at  night,  trying  to  catch  the  wise  little  badger; 
but  the  badger  also  travels  at  night,  and  if  he  should  be  far  from  his  home  when  he  sees 
his  wolf  enemy  he  just  flattens  his  short-legged,  broad,  flat  body,  and  lies  close  to  the  ground, 
where  only  the  keenest-sighted  will  see  him.  (He  does  not  dare-  run:  lie  is  so  fat  that  he 
is  very  slow.) 

I  lie  badger  is  an  underground,  burrowing  animal;  and  the  holes  he  has  dusf  for  his 
home  have  been  the  cause  of  many  a  horse  breaking  his  leg,  for  the  horse  steps  into  the 
hole  before  he  can  avoid  it. 


TIMBER-WOLF  AND    BADGER 

The  badger's  cousin  in  the  Old  Country  was  looked  upon  as  a  game  animal,  and  a  favorite 
sport  was  hunting  him  with  dogs.  But  the  dog  found  a  good  enemy,  for  the  badger  has  a 
real  bulldog  grip,  and  his  jaws  seem  to  lock  after  he  has  taken  hold. 

If  this  slow,  sullen  fellow  with  his  savage  disposition  is  left  alone  he  is  very  harmless  and 
does  good.  At  night,  during  the  summer,  he  hunts  for  gophers,  field-mice,  ground-squirrels, 
prairie-dogs;  in  fact,  he  eats  all  the  small  ground  folk.  Through  the  long  winter  he  sleeps; 
but  the  Indians  know  he  is  a  very  wise  person,  and  that  the  spirit  of  the  badger,  if  he 
should  come  to  any  of  them,  will  bestow  the  gift  of  wisdom  and  make  the  Red  Man  he 
visits  wiser  than  all  others.  Those  who  belong  to  the  badger  clan  would  never  think  of 
killing  that  animal,  as  he  is  their  totem. 


BADGER 


WOLVERINE  AND  FISHER 


HE  greatest  thief,   the  biggest  glutton,   and    the   most   sullen   beast   of   our 

smaller  animals  is  the  wicked  wolverine,  or  Indian  devil,  as  he  is  named  by 

the  northern   trappers.      He  is  hated   by  explorers,  as  he  breaks  into  their 

caches  and  destroys  everything;   what  he  does  not  care  to  eat  or  cannot  eat, 

he  soils  so  it  cannot  be  used.    Yet  the  fur  oi  this  hated  wolverine  is  the  only 

r  that  explorers  and   Eskimo  can  use  close  to  the  face  with   comfort,  as 

frost  from  the  breath  will  not  cling  to  it. 

The  wolverine   is   hated  by  everybody  and  everything.      In  Wyoming  he   is  called  the 

skunk  bear;   and  in  Washington,  Indians  call  him  the  mountain  devil.     lie  is  a  member  of 

the  weasel  family;   he  never  risks  his  life,  but  always  manages  to  get  a  good  meal,  and  just 

slinks  about  through  the  forest,  robbing  traps,  and  getting  at  the  trappers' stores. 

He  steals  not  only  from  man  hunters,  but  from  animal  hunters  as  well.  Many  animals 
hide  or  bury  what  food  they  can  for  winter  use,  but  the  wicked  wolverine  finds  it  and  eats 
all  he  can,  then  destroys  what  he  cannot  eat,  so  no  other  animal  can  get  it. 

This  fellow  is  so  sly  and  clever  that  he  springs  traps  and  eats  the  bait  without  so  much  as 
hurtino-  a  hair.  Trappers  have  found  that  the  only  way  to  trap  him  is  to  bury  the  traps 
deep  down  under  the  snow  and  smooth  over  the  place  as  if  they  were  hiding  food  from 
him.  Then  he  will  dig,  to  steal  from  the  cache,  and  so  get  caught  in  the  trap.  When 
a  trapper  gets  a  wolverine,  he  is  very  happy  and  seems  to  gloat  more  over  capturing  this 


a  in  \MmmxmmimmmKimmmmMB^KmKmmmmmfK?mm^mamHmmmmi 


WOLVERINE  AND   FISHER 


wicked-tempered,  destructive  little  glutton  than  he  does  over  the  possession  of  the  hide. 
The  fisher,  like  the  wolverine,  belongs  to  the  weasel  family,  lie  is  as  strong  as  his  cousin 
the  wolverine,  but  he  is  very  much  more  spry  and  has  more  courage.  He  travels  at  night, 
loves  the  dark  evergreen  woods,  and  he  is  as  much  at  home  in  the  tree-tops  as  on  the 
ground.  He  eats  all  kinds  of  flesh,  from  the  deer  to  the  hare,  and  has  been  known  to  kill 
even  the  porcupine  with  its  terrible  armor  of  spines.  He  is  .it  home  in  the  swamps  as 
well  as  the  mountains;  and,  like  his  wolverine 
cousin,  he  helps  the  trappers  look  after  their  traps. 
They  hate  the  fisher  as  much  as  they  do  the  wol- 
verine, as  he  sleeps  all  day  and  does  all  his  dam- 
age at  night.  Trappers  will  walk  many  miles,  in 
deep  snow  and  terrible  weather,  to  gather  skins, 
only  to  find  that  the  fisher  has  been  there  first. 
Perhaps  he  has  sprung  the  traps  and  stolen  the 
bait,  but  most  likely  he  has  taken  out  the  animal 
caught  and  torn  it  to  shreds.  If  a  trapper  suc- 
ceeds in  outwitting  this  slv  hunter,  he  feels  that 

O  J 

he  has  won  a  hard-earned  victory,  for  he  has  tri- 


uiii| 


'bed   over  a   most   cunning   and    sly  creature 


i  ISHHK 


and  one  of  the  wildest  of  all  our  wild  folk. 

The  fisher  is  larger  and  has  a  more  bush)'  tail 
than  the  weasel  or  mink.     He  is  of  a  grayish   brown  color,  and  the  tip  of  his  bushy  tail  is 
black. 


WOl.VHRfNE    AND    FISHER 

One  of  the  fisher's  worst  enemies  is  the  crane  The  fisher  loves  to  rob  the  nests  of  these 
birds,  and  eat  the  young;  but  the  old  crane  is  too  much  lor  him.  She:  will  drive  her  long' 
bill  into  his  eyes  or  into  his  brain,  and  kill  him.  That  is  why  the  fisher  is  always  very 
careful  to  visit  the  crane's  nest  when  the  mother  is  away. 


wvmm 


GRIZZLY  BEAR 


'N  deep,  dark  canyons,  where  the  rugged  and  frowning  rocks  shelter  him  and  the  great 
old  trees  forbid  civilization  to  enter,  lives  old  Ephraim,  the  savage,  but  ever  interest- 
ing, grizzly  bear.  He  was  at  one  time  master  of  the  entire  region  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi; but  he  has  gradually  been  exterminated,  or  driven  back  into  the  mysterious 
and  picturesque  fastnesses  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

This  t>reat  grizzly  bear  fears  nothing,  and  few  dare  attack  him  m  his  canyon  home, 
where  lie  is  king.  1  Ie  travels  about,  with  his  slow,  swinging  gait,  looking  for  his  prey, 
always  carrying  his  weapons  with  him;  and  the}'  are  ever  ready  to  assume  the  offensive, 
for,  armed  with  his  sharp,  strong  claws,  old  Kphraim  fears  nothing.  When  night  overtakes 
him,  he  does  not  have  to  beg  a  shelter;  for  all  the  caves,  the  roots  of  fallen  trees,  and  the 
ledges  of  rock  are  friendly.  The}*  afford  him  hiding-places  from  whence  to  spring  upon  Ids 
prey.  He  kills  the  animals  he  surprises,  by  striking  them  with  his  huge  paws  and  then  tear- 
ing them  with  his  powerful  jaws  and  claws.  These  weapons  he  wields,  also,  with  terrible- 
results,  upon  the  unwary  hunter  who  may  carry  war  against  him  in  his  own  domain. 

These  same  caves,  and  roots  of  fallen  trees,  and  ledges  of  rock  protect  the  grizzly  bear 
from  the  passing  storm.  But  old  hphraim  is  not  afraid;  he  ventures  out  to  feed  upon  the 
birds  and  animals  that  cannot  withstand  the  force  of  the  storm. 

Though  he  shows  partiality  for  the  boulder-covered  canyons,  where  rocks  on  either  side 
rise,  like  huge  monuments,  to  shelter  and  protect  nature  from  greedy  man,  he  issues  forth 


GRIZZLY    BEAR 


to  feed  upon  herbs,  berries,  and  fruits  that  grow  on  the   mountain-side  and  to  quench  lus 

thirst  with  the  waters  of  the  mountain  streams. 

When  summer  is  dying  and  autumn  awakens  in  her  gorgeous  garments  <>t  bright  hues, 

when  the  birds  seek  a  warmer  climate  and   the  mosses  and  lichens  that  cover  the  great 

boulders  and  tree-trunks  sleep,  when  the  north  wind  rushes  and  roars  through  the  canyons, 

frightening  animal  lite  away,  then   the  grizzly  leaves  his  rocky  home,  and  the  mother  bear 

wanders  about  with  her  cubs.  While  the  little 
fellows  roll,  toss,  and  play  amid  the  vari- 
colored and  beautiful  growths  on  the  sunny 
mountain-side,  tin-  mother  turns  over  stones 
and  digs  great  holes,  to  see  if  a  gopher  or  a 
marmot  be  hidden  away  there. 

At  last  Dame  Nature  puts  in  a  more 
somber  line  and  falls  asleep.  I  hen  the  griz- 
zly returns  to  his  canyon  home  for  his  win- 
ter's sleep.  After  the  mother  bear  has  made 
her  cubs  snug  in  a  sheltered  cave,  she  crawls 
into  another  cave  near  by,  and  soon  all  are 
hushed   to  sleep  by  the   great   deep  voice   of 

North    Wind,    who     alone     is     able     to     soothe    the     ferocious    spirit    of    this    strong    wild 

creature. 

The  grizzly  hes  dormant  from  dawn  to  darkness  and  then  to  dawn  again,  of  the  main' 

short    da\Ts   and    long    nights,   through    storm    and    sunshine.      If  his   winter's  sleep  be   not 


MAKMUl 


GRIZZLY    BEAR 


disturbed,  he  issues  forth  in  good  condition,  but  soon  grows  thin  and  scrawny  in  his 
search  for  food.  Should  the  long  sleep  be  broken  or  disturbed,  the  bear  grows  thin  and 
emaciated  before  spring  comes  to  awaken  Mother  Nature. 


BLACK  BEAR 


WELL-SHAPED,  smooth-coated,  timid  fellow  is  the  old  black  bear  that,  at  one 
tunc,  inhabited  nearly  all  of  North  America.  He  is  the  commonest  and  best  known 
of  all  the  bear  family.  He  lives  in  regions  where  he  can  find  plenty  of  thick  tim- 
ber to  hide  him  from  man  -but  not  to  hide  man  from  him,  for  he  is  most  curious, 
and  when  he  can  get  a  chance  to  watch  man  without  being  noticed,  he  is  careful  to 
take  advantage  of  it. 

It  probably  is  his  terrible  fear  of  man  that  has  saved  him  from  extermination. 
He  seems  to  have  little  or  no  tear,  though,  of  little  people.  Perhaps  they  remind  him  of 
playful  cubs. 

\\  hen  the  twins,  to  whom  this  book  is  dedicated,  were  four  years  old,  they  went  on  an 
expedition  to  Montana.  They  traveled  over  a  blazed  trail,  with  saddle,  pack-horses,  and 
a  wagon,  way  back  into  the  mountains  of  Montana,  where  they  were  going  to  camp  at  the 
base  of  old  Chief,  a  wonderful  pile  oi  huge  rocks  that  stands  as  a  landmark  and  can  be  seen 
for  many  miles.  At  one  place,  where  we  were  trying  to  make  a  very  steep  climb,  the  horses 
stopped,  refusing  to  go  any  farther.  The  two  little  boys,  who  already  had  climbed  to  the 
top,  were  put  in  a  little  clearing,  in  the  pine  woods,  and  told  to  stay  there  quietly  until  the 
horses  came  to  the  top  ol  the  hill.  They  were  told  that  the  horses  would  rush  up  and  they 
must  stay  in  their  safe  place.     Then  they  were  left  to  each  other's  company. 

In  about  half  an  hour  all  was  ready  to  start  the  horses  and  I  went  to  the  top  to  see  if  the 


BLACK   BEAR 

four-year-olds  were  all  right.  When  I  reached  the  clearing,  one  of  the  twins  said,  "  Mother, 
see  that  bear!  lie  has  just  gone  into  the  woods."  I  did  not  pay  any  attention,  but  went 
back  down  the  hill,  warning  the  pair  that  the  horses  were  now  coming. 

When  I  reached  the  bottom  and  reported,  "All  is  well,"  the  horses  started;  and  I  won- 
dered if,  perhaps,  there  had  been  a  bear  watching  the  little  fellows.  But  there  was  work  to 
be  done,  and  when  we  finally  reached  the  top,  I  said,  "Well,  boys,  where  is  the  bear?" 
They  answered,  "  I  guess  the  noise  of  the  horses  frightened  him  away;   he's  gone  now." 

It  must  have  been  true,  tor  just  then  the  father,  who  is  an  old-time  hunter,  came  over  to 
them  and  called  my  attention  to  some  fresh  tracks.  "A  bear  must  have  just  passed  through 
here,"  he  said.  "Yes,  Daddy,"  the  boys  answered,  "he  has  been  looking  at  us  a  long  time, 
but  he  is  gone  now." 

The  black  bear  lives  principally  upon  vegetable  food;  blueberries  are  a  favorite  diet, 
though  he  will  eat  any  kind  ot  fruit.  When  he  can  find  plenty  of  fruit,  grubs,  worms, 
grasshoppers,  and  crickets,  together  with  good  roots,  he  will  pass  oxer  a  freshly  killed  deer 
or  sheep  without  noticing  it;  but  when  this  favorite  food  is  scarce  the  sheep-herders  have 
trouble,  for  Bruin  will  help  himself  to  as  many  members  of  the  flock  as  he  cares  to  kill. 

When  fall  comes,  he  loves  to  visit  cornfields  at  night,  eating  the  juicy  cornstalks  and  ears, 
almost  ruining  the  patch;  and  then,  though  he  is  very  timid,  he  cannot  resist  visiting  the 
pig-pen  and  helping  himself  to  a  pig. 

Bear  cubs  are  very  playful  little  fellows,  full  of  all  sorts  of  mischief,  teasing  the  old  mother 
until  she  gets  very  angry;  then  she  will  box  the  little  fellows'  ears,  to  teach  them  respect 
for  their  elders — even  the  little  animal  people  must  be  taught  obedience  and  respect. 

When  the  old  mother  meets  an  enemy,  or  is  surprised,  she  will  drive  her  cubs  up  a  tree 


BLACK    BEAR 

and  watch.    At  this  time  she  is  savage  and  will  make  a  desperate  fight  to  protect  her  young. 
She  teaches  her  cubs  to  catch  mice  and  to  dig  ants  and  grubs  out  ol  rotten  logs. 
Sometimes  a  cub  is  caught  by  Indians  and  taken  home  as  a  playfellow  for  some  little  Red 
babv,  where  he  soon  forgets  his  forest  home  and  lines  his  adopted  one. 

I  he  black  bear  is  passionately  fond  of  honey  and  will  dig 
up  any  nest  of  wild  honey  to  get  the  sweets,  regardless  of 
the  punishment  he  will  surely  receive,  lie  is  as  clever  as 
a  human  in  locating  a  bee  tree.  lie  climbs  to  the  opening 
and  attacks  it  so  savagely  with  Ins  teeth  and  (daws  that  he 
soon  has  a  hole  large  enough  to  reach  the  honey.  The 
angry  bees  sting  his  nose,  mouth,  and,  in  fact,  his  whole 
body;  but  he  stops  only  long  enough  to  brush  some  of  them 
off,  or,  it  the  hole  is  near  the  ground,  he  rolls  over  and  over, 
trying  to  get  rid  of  his  tormentors.  But  he  keeps  right  at  his 
task,  knowing  that  before  long  the  comb  will  be  broken  and 
the  bees  will  leave  him  in  peace  while  thev  hasten  to  gather 
enough  of  their  honey  to  store  away  for  their  winter's  use. 

With  the  approach  of  winter,  the  mother  bear  takes  her 
cubs  into  the  woods,  where  they  feed  upon  nuts  and  acorns. 
But  soon  these  are  gone,  and  winter's  bleak,  cold  winds  send  the  whole  bear  family  to  seek 
sheltered  caves.  Then  they  and  all  Dame  Nature  are  wrapped  in  a  winter  mantle  and 
many  of  the  wood  folk  have  gone  to  sleep,  to  wait  tor  the  cheery  springtime  to  come  and 
awaken  them. 


BLAl_K    BhAK 


KT 


«  ■  h 


'■ 


v<c. 


3?  ^  : 


POLAR  BEAR  AND  ARCTIC  FOX 


^RESSED  in  his  suit  of  heavy,  yellowish-white  fur,  the  Polar  hear,  king-  of 
the  frozen  North,  travels  along  over  the  treeless  waste  of  snow  and  ice,  fol- 
lowing the  edge  of  the  great  ice-pack,  where  he  finds  seals,  fish,  and  walrus. 
Sometimes,  though  seldom,  he  travels  inland,  where  he  finds  some  vegetable 
matter.  lie  loves  the  water  and  is  the  best  swimmer  of  all  the  bear  people. 
\\  ere  he  not  dressed  in  white,  he  would  starve  to  death;  as  white  is  the 
prevailing  color  in  this  cold  country,  and  he  can  travel  along,  hiding  behind 
snow-drifts  and  ice  cakes,  until  he  finds  a  breathing-hole  in  the  ice  where  the  seal  comes  up 
to  get  air.  Here  he  watches  and  waits,  as  a  cat  would  watch  for  a  mouse.  Sometimes  he 
steals  upon  his  prey  as  a  hunter  would  stalk  his  game.  If  he  cannot  reach  his  prey  by 
traveling  over  the  ice,  he  jumps  into  the  water  and  swims  tar  out,  then  approaches  it  by 
swimming  under  water.      While  he  swims  he  catches  fish. 

The  Polar  bear  does  not  depend  entirely  upon  killing  his  own  food:  he  will  eat  any- 
thing that  is  thrown  upon  the  shore  by  the  washing  of  the  Arctic  waters;  it  may  even  be  a 
dead  whale. 

Usually,  the  old  father  bears  stay  up  all  winter,  hunting  food,  but  when  the  snowstorms 
begin  to  be  heavy  the  mother  bear  digs  herself  a  cave  in  a  snow-drift,  or  curls  up  under  a 
rock\r  ledge,  where  she  lets  the  snow  cover  her,  to  keep  her  and  her  babies  warm  during 
the  terribly  cold  part  of  the  winter.  In  the  spring  the  mother  too  comes  out  to  hunt  for 
food.      She  usually  finds  a  great   man}'  wild   birds  which  come  to  nest  in  the  great  rocky 


POLAR    Bl-AR    AND    ARCTIC    FOX 

cliffs,  <>r  on  the  ice  she  finds  a  mother  seal  with  her  babies.  It  is  not  long  before  the  old 
mother  bear  begins  to  get  strong  after  her  long  winter's  fast,  while  at  the  same  time  she  is 
teaching  her  cubs  to  hunt. 

The  cub  is  no  more  afraid  than  the  mother  to  plunge  into  the  icy  Arctie  water  and  swim, 
and  he  will  follow  the  mother  and  go  wherever  she  may  lead.  The  baby  bear  is  not  used 
to  swimming  and  gets  tired  if  the  mother  takes  too  long  a  water  trip;  but  he  knows  how  to 
rest  himself.  When  he  begins  to  get  tired  he  swims  up  behind  his  mother  and  takes  hold 
of  her  tail  with  his  teeth,  and  holds  on  tightly.  In  this  way  he  can  rest  and  is  in  no  danger 
of  bring  drowned.  But  the  mother  drives  him  off;  perhaps  she,  also,  gets  tired,  for  she  may 
have  two  cubs,  each  taking  his  turn. 

Were  it  not  for  these  great  bears,  many  of  the  explorers — who  live  in  the  North  two  or 
three  years  at  a  time,  so  we  can  know  something  of  the  frozen  part  of  our  country-  -would 
starve  to  death. 

The  Polar  bear  has  a  little  shadow.  It  follows  wherever  he  leads,  to  feed  upon  whatever 
this  great  fellow  leaves  behind.  This  little  shadow  is  ealled  the  Arctic  fox.  He  is  a  simple- 
minded  creature,  easily  caught  in  a  trap,  and  willing  to  accept  food  left  by  man. 

'Way  up  in  the  far  North  the  Arctie  fox  is  white  all  the  year  round;  it  he  were  not,  he 
could  be  seen  by  all  the  animal  people,  as  he  hunts  for  food  over  the  lee  and  snow.  A 
little  farther  south,  he  is  snow-white  in  winter  and  bluish-brown  in  summer;  while  still  far- 
ther south,  this  curious  chap  is  dark  all  the  year  round,  because  he  hunts  in  wooded  country, 
and  if  he  were  white  in  the  woods  everything  could  see  him.  I  le  must  be  dark  here  for  the 
same  reason  that  he  is  white  in  the  North.  1 1  is  color  is  so  different,  from  the  Arctie  to  the 
south,  that  you  would  never  believe  him  to  be  the  same  little  creature. 


POLAR    BEAR    AND    ARCTIC   FOX 


These  little  people  of  the  wild  burrow  in  the  earth  for  their  homes,  and  they  live  in 
little  fox  villages.  They  dig  down  to  almost  freezing  point  and  here  they  hide  many  lem- 
mings and  other  small  dwellers  of  the  Arctic  for  their  winter  supply  oi  meat.  They  know 
that  the  long  winter  will  soon  he  upon  them;  and  though  they  hunt  hard  and  often  to  find 
the  Arctie  hare,  this  swift  runner  is  not  easily  caught,  as  he  has  longer  legs,  and  there  is 
little  chance  for  a  fox  to  creep  upon  and  surprise  him,  over  the  great  sheet  of  white  snow. 


«*£ 


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<^M»m^'  mgl 


ARCTIC   FOX 


RED  FOX   AND  COTTONTAIL 


way,  t 


o  and 


ED  fox  is  one  of  the  wisest  and  most  cunning  <>t  little  creatures,  with  so  little 
fear  oi  man  that  he  prefers  to  live  near  settlements,  where  he  can  poach 
upon  the  tanners  chickens  and  fowl  to  help  out  his  menu  of  mice  and  rab- 
bits, birds  and  other  wood  folk. 

I  he  foxes  make  dens  in  the  midst  of  big  tree  forests,  or  in  crevices  among 
the  rocks,  where  the  vixen  (mother)  hides  her  tour  or  five  cubs  while  she 
goes  out  to  find  food  to  bring  home.  She  always  travels  in  a  roundabout 
from  her  den,  so  that  her  enemies  cannot  find  the  way.  She  never  leaves  any 
refuse  about  her  doorway  that  might  attract  the  attention  of  man  or  animal  folk  who  may 
be  hunting  about  her  domain. 

On  sunny  days  the  vixen  takes  her  fox  cubs  out  into  the  sunshine  to  play.  They  may 
never  have  seen  man,  yet  they  run  and  hide  at  his  approach;  but  if  caught,  they  make  very 
lovely  little  pets. 

Some  friends,  hunting  in  New  Brunswick,  caught  a  little  fox  cub  and  put  him  into  a 
box  cage.  I  hey  shot  Canadian  jays  for  their  little  captive,  and  the  cunning  little  fellow 
carried  each  one  into  his  box  to  hide  it,  until  he  had  his  box  so  full  that  he  could  not  get 
into  it  himself.  lie  became  very  tame  and  played  all  day;  hut  at  night  the  hunters  would 
awaken  to  hear  his  plaintive  little  bark,  then  off  in  the  distance  would  come  the  answer 
from  the  poor  old  vixen,  who  was  mourning  the  loss  of  her  little  one,  while  the   screech-owl 


RED    FOX    AND    COTTONTA1 


flew  from  limb  to  limb,  seeming  to  laugh  at  the  troubles  of  the  poor  mother  trying  to  quiet 
her  lost  one. 

During  the  nesting"  season,  the  red  fox  destroys  quantities  of  quail  and  partridge  nests. 
He  is  hunted  with  hounds  and  seems  to  enjoy  the  sport  as  much  as  his  pursuers,  leading 
them  a  merry  chase,  often  running  the  top  rail  of  a  fence  or  jumping  from  stone  to  stone. 
Should  he  get  far  ahead,  he  will  stop  and  wait  for  the  hounds  to  catch  up,  then  off  he  runs 
again  and  often  gets  away  finally,  to  hide  and  rest  in  his  den.  If  he  should  suddenly  come 
upon  a  hunter,  he  will  show  no  signs  of  fear,  but  just  pretend  he  never  saw  him,  and  grad- 
ually work  away  until  he  is  over  some  small  hill,  then  he  will  run  as  fast  as  he  can,  to  get 
out  of  the  way. 

He  is  the  handsomest  and  most  valuable  fox  from  the  Southern  Alleghanies  to  Point  Bar- 
row, wearing  man}7  different  suits  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  from  yellow-red  to  the 
palest  of  bleached-out  colors  on  the  sun-kissed  desert,  and  very  bright  colors  in  the  forest 
regions  of  Alaska. 

He  is  so  cunning  and  so  well  able  to  care  for  himself  that  it  is  not  so  easy  to  exterminate 
him  as  it  is  other  animals  less  wise. 

The  black-cross  fox  and  the  silver  fox  are  just  two  different  phases  of  the  same  red 
fox. 

The  red  fox  has  a  very  keen  sense  of  hearing.  He  depends  more  upon  his  ears  and  nose 
than  upon  his  eyes  in  detecting  the  approach  of  danger  or  in  locating  his  prey.  When  he 
gets  scent  of  a  rabbit,  he  is  happy;  for  rabbits  are  his  favorite  food,  and  poor  little  molly- 
cottontail  must  always  be  watchful  or  she  will  be  caught.  Should  she  not  see  her  enemy 
until  he  is  almost  upon  her,  she  will  he  very  close  to  the  ground,  behind  a  bunch  of  grass 


RED    FOX    AND   COTTONTAIL 


or  a  bush,  and  never  move.     Often  the  hunter  will  pass  her  by;  but  sometimes  she  has  a 

hard  run  to  save  her  life,  and  many  times,  poor  thing,  she  is  caught. 

The  cottontail  is  the  smallest  of  the  rabbit  family  and  is  found  all  over  the  country.    She 

burrows  in  the  ground  for  a  home;    but,  unfortunately,  she  has  not  learned  to  make  herself 

a  back  door,  to  escape  in  time  of  danger,  for  members  of  the  weasel  or  marten  families  follow 

this  creature  into  her  home. 

Like  all  rabbits  she  has  regular  runways  or  trails  through  the  woods;   but  on  moonlight 

nights  she  will  come  out  into  the  clearings,  with  her  relatives,  and  romp,  play  and  frisk  about 

in  the  moonlight,  having  a  lively  time.  Suddenly 
one  of  the  brothers  will  stamp  his  feet,  and  in  a 
second  all  have  disappeared  and  run  for  safety. 
Most  people  might  have  wondered  what  the  mat- 
ter was.  Little  Brother  Rabbit  knew,  for  almost 
instantly,  Ko-Ko-Kas,  the  big  brown  owl,  flew 
over  the  clearing  and  each  little  rabbit  was  glad 
he  had  heard  and  obeyed  the  warning.  Had  he 
not  he  would  have  suffered  more  than  when 
Chief  Rabbit  refused  to  go  to  a  council  called  by 
Owl.  Owl  was  chief  then,  and  called  four  times, 
but  the  Rabbit  did  not  answer.  Then  he  told  the 
Rabbit  his  ears  would  grow  until  he  came  to  the 
long  his  ears  grew;    and  they  might  have  been  much  longer 

had  not  the  Rabbit  answered  and  run  to  the  council  as  fast  as  he  could  20. 


COTTONTAIL 


council.      We  all   know  how 


•  ;■■  ■ 

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5rtfarty  ■   ' lattir^irii     '     |Mi|||IM|-|    dtllil 


KIT-FOX  AND  JACK-RABBIT 


ElHE  daintiest  and  smallest  of  all  the  foxes  is  the  pretty  little  kit-fox.  His 
coloring  is  as  dainty  as  the  little  fellow  himself — a  beautiful  light  silver-gray, 
mixed  with  long  yellow  hair.  The  under  part  is  white;  but,  unlike  his  family, 
he  has  no  white  tip  on  the  end  of  his  brush,  which  is  ten  inches  long.  Like 
his  fox  brothers,  however,  he  burrows  in  the  ground  for  a  home  and  seldom 
dares  go  very  far  away  from  his  burrow,  as  he  has  so  many  enemies.  Fortu- 
nately he  need  not  go  far  away  for  food,  lor  he  can  catch  plenty  of  prairie-dogs 
and  ground-mice  right  at  his  own  door  on  the  prairie. 

In  fact,  the  prairie  is  the  only  home  of  this  strange,  beautiful  little  fellow.  He  is  not  found 
in  the  East;  but  anywhere  on  the  Great  Plains,  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Saskatchewan, 
the  dainty  kit-foxes  will  be  seen  playing  all  around,  or  rolling  and  tumbling  like  little  pup- 
pies. At  one  time  there  were  many  of  them,  but  now  they  are  getting  more  scarce ;  being 
less  cunning  and  wise  than  other  foxes,  they  eat  the  poisoned  meat  that  trappers  have  left 
to  catch  wolves. 

The  young  kit-fox  was  a  little  pet  that  the  Indian  children  were  delighted  to  have;  while 
the  Indian  mothers  and  fathers  made  winter  hats  from  the  fur  of  the  kit-fox,  and  used  the 
fur  also  for  decorations  on  their  ceremonial  costumes. 

He  is  also  called  the  swift-fox,  because  he  can  run  swiftly  enough  to  catch  the  jack-rabbit, 
which,  during  the  winter,  often  furnishes  the  only  food  for  many  of  the  animals.    Like  the 


KIT-FOX    AND  JACK-RABBIT 

kit-fox,  the  jack-rabbit  loves  the  West,  and  is  not  known  in  the  East;  though  the  rabbits  in 
the  East  are  cousins.  He  is  also  called  the  jackass-hare,  the  black-tail  and  the  white-tail 
jack-rabbit. 

Like  all  other  forest  people  who  make  their  homes  in  the  North,  the  white-tail  jack-rabbit 
changes  his  gray  coat  to  an  almost  white  one  when  \\  inter  spreads  his  blanket  of  snow  over 
Mother  Earth.  This  is  Dame  Nature's  way  of  helping  her  people  protect  themselves  from 
their  many  enemies. 

Rabbits  multiply  very  rapidly;  were  it  not  so  we  would  have  lew  jack-rabbits  left,  for  in 
early  days,  when  food  was  scarce,  the  settlers  and  explorers,  as  well  as  the  wood  folk  and 
birds  of  prey,  lived  chiefly  on  the  rabbit.  Yet,  were  it  not  for  all  his  enemies,  the  jack-rabbit 
would  soon  become  a  pest. 

In  some  places,  where  the  covotes  and  birds  of  prey  have  become  scarce  or  killed  off,  the 
rabbits  become  so  numerous  and  destructive  that  the  Indians  plan  a  rabbit  hunt  or  drive. 
The  day  set  aside  lor  this  is  a  great  feast  day  and  the  Indians  all  go  to  spend  the  entire 
time  at  play.  Men  and  boys  form  a  great  circle;  then,  with  big  clubs,  they  beat  the  brush 
in  all  directions,  driving  the  rabbits  toward  the  center  of  the  ring.  I  here  they  kill  them 
with  their  throwing  sticks,  which  are  curved  something  like  a  boomerang.  During  these 
drives,  the  Indians  kill  great  numbers  of  rabbits.  After  a  big  drive  there  is  usually  a  dance 
day  at  the  village  and  all  are  invited  to  dance  and  come  to  the  great  feast  around  a  big 
camp  fire. 

The  jack-rabbit  is  known  also  as  the  prairie  or  Texas  hare  and  is  distinctly  a  western 
branch  of  the  family,  feeding  upon  buffalo  and  bunch  grass,  weeds,  leaves,  bark,  and  low 
bushes. 


KIT-FOX   AND   IACK-RABBIT 


When  a  jack-rabbit  is  being  chased,  he  jumps  way  up  into  the  air,  and  then  scarcely 
seems  to  touch  the  ground  before  he  is  up  again,  looking  around  to  see  what  is  chasing  him. 
If  it  is  an  ordinary  dog  <>r  other  beast,  he  will  jump  up  and  keep  watching  his  pursuer,  but 
if  lie  finds  he  is  being  chased  by  a  greyhound,  Mr.  Rabbit  will  get  right  down  and  run  for 
the  first  place  that  will  afford  him  a  good  protection. 

The  Indians  of  the  Northwest  use  the  jack-rabbit  skin  to  make  robes.  They  cut  tin- 
skin  into  narrow  strips  and  twist  these  so  the  fur  is  'on  both  sides;  then  the  strips  are 
fastened  together.     This  makes  a  very  light,  durable  and  warm  robe  for  the  North  country. 


JACK-RABBIT 


MOUNTAIN-SHEEP  AND   LITTLE  CHIEF   HARE 


IpIAYout  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  bold,  strong  and  active,  climbing  from 


tl 


it.-  snow-covei 


'l'<1  crown,  where  snow  is  everlasting,  to  the  base, 


where 


spread   green  pastures,  lives  the  majestic  mountain-sheep  or  bighorn. 

He   fears   nothing   but    man    with    his    firearms,  and    no   storm    is    big 

enough  to  drive  him  from  his  rocky  home. 

I  his  splendid  creature,  with  his  strong  legs,  scales  the  most  rugged 

cliffs,  and  jumps  from  rock  to  rock,  over  deep  precipices,  with  a  grace 
and  agility  that  are  grand.  His  favorite  feeding-ground  is  above  timber-line,  on  the  treeless 
slopes,  where  he  finds  grasses  and  wild  flowers.  It  is  surprising  how  many  different,  won- 
derful Mowers  grow  about  the  glaciers.  Once,  while  spending  a  while  on  the  glaciers  in 
Glacier  National  Park,  we  picked  twenty-four  different  varieties  of  flowers  in  halt  an  hour, 
inside  of  a  few  yards;  the  abundance  of  vegetation  in  these  ice-bound  fields  is  remarkable. 
The  mother  sheep  stays  in  the  most  inaccessible  places  with  her  lambs,  far  up  above 
timber-line,  so  that  they  can,  at  the  least  sign  of  danger,  get  out  of  reach  of  the  foe.  The 
worst  enemy  of  these  people  of  the  wild  is  the  eagle  ;  but  the  mother  can  guard  her  babies 
from  him. 

In  the  spring  the  flocks  will  venture  down  to  find  better  feeding-grounds  in  the  valleys; 
but  it  is  not  long  before  they  return  to  the  rocky  fastness  of  their  mountain  home,  out  of  the 
way  of  the  wolves  and  the  mountain-lions,  their  greatest  enemies  on  the  plains  below. 


MOUNTAIN-SHEEP   AND    LITTLE    CHIEF    HARE 

It  is  good  that  the  mountain-sheep  knows  the  great  mountains  arc  his  friends  and  his 
protectors,  for,  from  this  fortified  home,  his  keen  sense  of  sight,  hearing,  and  smell  helps 
him  to  detect  an  enemy  at  a  long  distance. 

His  horns,  great,  massive,  wonderful  things,  are  the  crowning  glory  of  a  hunter;  though 
the  Indians  see  in  them  only  a  big  soup-ladle!      Even  the  females  have  horns. 

Fortunatelv,  it  is  unlawful,  in  many  states,  to  kill  this  majestic  creature,  and  he  will  con- 
tinue to  grace  our  great  western  country.  His  general  color  is  gray,  with  a  large  white 
patch  on  his  hmd  quarters. 

When  this  war}-  creature  sees  a  hunter  at  a  great  distance,  he  starts  up  the  well-beaten, 
steep  trail.  These  favorite  trails  lead  up  the  slopes  of  high  mountains,  rugged  and  jagged, 
to  above  timber-line,  on  into  the  land  of  perpetual  snow.  Here  the  sheep  find  plenty  of 
gray  mosses,  and,  many  times,  large  patches  of  splendid  grass.  In  winter  there  is  an  abun- 
dance of  gray  mosses  to  eat,  and  they  are  glad  to  find  protection  in  the  great  pine  woods;  but 
they  always  stay  in  a  forest  where  the  woods  tall  away  into  perpendicular,  rugged  cliffs, 
with  acres  of  slide  rock  below,  to  afford  away  of  escape  from  the  many  enemies  that  trouble 
them,  especiallv  from  man  hunters. 

The  old  ram  keeps  his  Hock  of  ewes  and  lambs  together,  and  will  not  allow  voung  rams 
near  his  herd.  I  Ie  has  many  fierce  fights  to  show  he  is  master.  Early  explorers  and  hunters 
thought  these  wild  brothers  one  variety;  but  since  they  have  been  studying  this  creature 
we  know  that  there  are  seven  varieties,  although  all  have  nearly  the  same  habits,  and  are 
found  all  the  way  from  the  Alaskan  mountains  clear  down  into  Mexico. 

Little  Chief  hare,  or  pika,  a  queer  little  fellow,  shares  this  rugged  home  with  the  mountain- 
sheep.      He  is  a  tiny  creature  and  belongs  to  no  family  but  his  own,  though  he  looks  enough 


MOUNTAIN-SHHhP   AND    I. MILL    CHIhF    HARE 

like  the  little  gray  rabbit  to  be  a  cousin.  He  lives  above  timber-line,  in  the  land  of  perpetual 
snow.  All  summer  he  carries  grasses  and  many  kinds  of  Alpine  plants  for  his  winter  sup- 
ply of  food.      With  these  he  builds  almost  a  haystack. 

The  pikas  also  love  the  rock  slides,  where  they  find  shelter  in  the  crevices,  among  the 
boulders.  The)'  are  always  watchful  and  alert,  and  when  they  see  any  danger  they  run  as 
fast  as  their  short  leg's  can  carry  them. 

This  queer  little  creature,  with  little  activity,  and  the  great  mountain-sheep,  who  is  an 
agile  climber,  share  this  rocky  home,  and  neither  has  any  cause  to  fear  the  other,  though 
both  fear  many  of  the  wood  folk  hunters. 


LITTLE    CHIEF    HARE 


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4 


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iU/MPiM^ 


MOUNTAIN-GOAT  AND  WEASEL 


R  up  in  his  Rocky  Mountain  home,  where  you  find  the  wildest  scenery, 
surrounded  by  glaciers,  climbing  almost  inaccessible  places — particularly 
dangerous,  ice-covered  mountain-sides — the  mountain-goat  has  his  strong- 
hold.  Only  the  boldest,  most  daring  hunter  may  follow  him  into  his  rocky 
fastness.  They  say  he  is  the  most  stupid  of  all  animals,  and  you  might  sup- 
pose him  slow  and  clumsy;  but  in  reality  he  is  the  most  expert  and  the 
swiftest  climber  of  all  hoofed  animals.  Do  you  know  why?  Mother  Nature 
has  provided  him  with  a  peculiar  set  of  hoofs,  padded  in  the  center,  to  catch  hold  of  and 
cling  to  the  rocks,  and  sharp  and  knifelike  around  the  edges,  to  cut  into  the  ice  and  hold 
him,  when  he  is  passing  over  slippery  places. 

Perhaps  he  is  stupid  because  he  feels  so  secure  in  his  almost  inapproachable  home  that 
he  need  fear  nothing;  but  he  always  keeps  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  approach  of  an  enemy. 
His  eyes  are  very  keen,  and  he  can  see  long  distances;  but  he  has  never  learned  that  an 
enemy  may  hunt  him  from  above  as  well  as  from  below.  Nothing  that  passes  beneath  him 
escapes  his  sharp  eves.  Should  he  see  a  strange  object  he  will  watch  it  until  the  danger 
passes  out  of  sight,  perhaps  around  a  little  rise,  then  he  will  go  on;  and  when  next  you  see 
him  he  is  almost  at  the  top  oi  a  high  mountain.  All  his  enemies  know  they  cannot 
approach  him  from  below,  and  animal  hunters,  as  well  as  man  hunters,  start  lor  this  game 
from  above. 


MOUNTAIN-GOAT   AND   WEASEL 

If  the  hunter  pn >ve  to  be  steady  enough  oi  nerve  to  follow  this  beast  as  he  travels  over  the 
little  ledges  ol  rock,  lie  will  find  no  difficulty  in  killing  him;  lor  he  is  known  to  be  one  of 
the  most  stupid  of  our  game  animals,  and  will  stand  still  and  watch  the  hunter  come 
on. 

II  you  should  see  a  goat  in  his  rocky  home,  you  would  think  him  the  queerest,  strangest 
beast  imaginable.  I  lis  shoulders  are  high  and  his  hind  quarters  low,  and  he  is  covered  with 
long,  wiry  hair  ol  cream-white  color.  I  his  is  his  outside  coat.  Inside  he  wears  a  woolly 
coat,  next  to  his  skin.  The  inside  coat  keeps  him  warm,  while  the  outside  coat  sheds  all 
the  ram  and  sn< »w. 

His  lour  short,  stocky  legs  carry  him  along  in  a  slow,  lumbering  gait. 

He  has  a  pair  oi  very  black  horns  almost  sharp-pointed  spikes.  They  are  not  very 
imposing;  and  the  square,  short  beard  which  reaches  straight  across  his  chin  does  not  add 
to  his  beauty. 

Ills  flesh  is  not  good  to  eat,  unless  you  can  get  no  other  food;  it  tastes  musty  and  dry. 
He  is  hunted  for  his  he, id  and  hide.  But  he  need  not  leave  his  rocky  home  to  get  his  food, 
as  he  finds  great  patches  of  lovely  grass  just  above  timber-line,  and  he  loves  the  short,  almost 
hchen-hke,  moss  that  grows  on  the  face  or  at  the  base  and  between  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks. 

When  the  hunter  starts  in  search  of  this  Rocky  Mountain  game  he  often  runs  across  the 
bloodthirsty  little  .weasel,  who  changes  his  suit  of  fur  from  a  reddish  brown  in  summer  to 
one  of  pure  white  in  winter.  He  is  a  wicked  little  murderer,  and  often  kills  to  satisfy  a 
vicious  desire.  He  may  not  be  hungry,  but  he  will  kill  ten  or  fifteen  small  animals,  one 
after  another,  and  just  let  them  lie  where  they  died,  while  he  goes  on  in  search  of  new  prey. 


MOUNTAIN-GOAT    AND    WEASEL 

His  white  fur  resembles  that  of  the  beautiful  ermine;  in  fact,  he  is  called  the  ermine  of 
America,      lie  has  even  the  black  tip  to  his  tail. 

Weasels  will  often  kill  ground-squirrels  and  then  take  possession  of  their  burrows; 
although  they  also  make  their  homes  under  stumps  and  in  the  hollows  of  old  trees. 


WEASEL 


MINK  AND  OTTER 


^r  ^ ^223i\  I  K  (j nick,  graceful  little  brown  mink  is  found  all  over  this  country  and  is 
as  happy  in  the  water  as  he  is  on  land.  I  hough  he  has  many  enemies,  he 
fears  none,  as  he  can  always  find  a  hiding-place.  1  le  can  climb  a  tree  with  the 
agility  of  a  eat,  or  he  can  dive  into  a  stream  and  swim  almost  as  well  as  a 
fish,  lie  loves  to  dodge  and  suddenly  disappear  into  a  hole  perhaps  no 
bigger  than  a  rat  hole — or  to  hide  under  a  lot  of  fallen  leaves  and  glide 
along  so  quietly  that  the  hunter  just  stands  still  and  wonders  into  what 
hole  he  has  disappeared.  I  hen,  way  off  in  the  distance,  the  saucy  little  mink  will  sit  up 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  his  enemy,  probably  laughing  to  himself  and  enjoying  the  fun  he  is  hav- 
ing at  the  hunters  expense.       1  hen  off  he  scampers  again. 

1  he  mink  is  both  a  land  and  a  water  hunter.  He  loves  to  explore  swamps,  to  find  frogs 
and  lizards,  or  turn  over  dead  leaves  to  see  if  any  snakes  or  insects  have  hidden  themselves 
awav  there.  Though  he  loves  to  live  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  where  he  can  find  all  sorts  of 
good  things  and  splendid  hiding-places,  he  also  wanders  into  the  wild  woods,  where  lie  can 
find  birds;   these  he  catches  in  great  numbers,  to  satisfy  his  love  for  killing. 

I  he  mink  digs  a  home  for  himself  in  the  ground,  but  often  he  steals  the  muskrat's  home. 
One  day  a  hunter  saw  a  mink  run  into  a  muskrat's  hole.  lie  dug  out  the  place  and  found 
ten  dead  muskrats  in  the  hole  the  mink  had  appropriated  for  his  own  home! 

The  mink  hunts  without  fear,  even  after  Jack  Frost  has  closed  his  icy  fingers  over  every- 


MINK   AND    OTTER 

thing.  He  will  look  for  an  air  hole,  jump  into  the  icy  water,  and  hunt  for  the  little  mice 
that  run  along  the  shore  space  at  the  edge  of  the  water;  then  out  he  will  come  and  follow 
a  rabbit-track  in  the  snow.  He  is  a  busy  fellow  and  hunts  the  wood  folk,  upon  which  he 
preys,  both  night  and  day.  Once  upon  the  trail  of  the  wild  folk,  the  mink  keeps  right  after 
his  prey  until  he  catches  it.       He  sleeps  whenever  he  is  tired. 

While  sitting  before  his  campfire  one  evening,  a  hunter  friend  was  suddenly  surprised  by 
a  rabbit,  which  jumped  out  of  the  bushes  and  almost  into  the  fire,  but  he  rushed  right  ahead, 
as  fast  as  the  poor  frightened  little  creature  could  go.  Almost  immediately  a  mink  jumped 
out  of  the  same  bushes,  hurrying  after  his  game ;  but  the  surprise  party  was  such  a  surprise 
that  it  separated  the  hunter  and  the  hunted  and  saved  the  rabbit's  life. 

The  mink  and  his  otter  cousin  are  hunted  and  trapped  for  their  fur,  which  is  very  valu- 
able. The  poor  otter,  though  larger  than  the  mink,  is  almost  gone,  just  because  people  like 
to  wear  his  fur. 

The  otter  loves  the  water  better  than  the  land  ;  although  originally  he  was  a  land  animal, 
belonging  to  the  marten  or  weasel  family.  Now,  after  having  been  a  splendid  fisherman  for 
so  long,  he  is  gradually  getting  to  look  like  a  small  seal  and  has  become  a  semi-water  ani- 
mal. Strangely  enough  the  baby  otters  are  afraid  of  water  and  have  to  be  taught  by  their 
parents  to  swim.      The  body  is  long  and  flat,  with  very  short  legs  and  webbed  toes. 

The  otter's  home  is  a  den  under  the  bank  of  a  stream,  with  the  opening  under  the  water, 
for  he  knows  that  is  the  safest  place.  But  some  of  the  otter  people  select  a  deep  cave  high 
up  on  the  bank  of  a  river  for  a  nest ;   and  even  the  bottom  of  hollow  trees  are  sometimes  used. 

I  he  otters  often  travel  over  land  for  great  distances,  from  one  body  of  water  to  another, 
but  their  legs  are  so  short  that  traveling  on  land  is  very  slow.      In  winter  they  have  great 


MINK   AND   OTTER 


8 


fun  traveling;   they  slide  down  every  snow-bank  they  come  to  and  in  this  way  save  a  great 
deal  of  walking. 

The  otters  love  to  romp  and  play  on  the  grassy  hank  oi  a  stream,  or  in  the  pines,  like  lit- 
tle puppies.  When  they  hnd  a  stream  with  a  steep  hank,  they  make  a  path  to  the  top,  so 
as  not  to  disturb  the  sink'.  Then  they  lie  flat  on  their  stomachs  and  slide  down  the  muddy, 
slippery  bank  into  the  water.       I  hey  go  one  after  the  other,  sometimes  racing,  and  often  just 

missing  a  collision  before  they  get  to  the  bottom. 
1  hear  fur  seems   to  be  so  oily  that  the  water  can 
never  reach  the  skin. 

1  he  fur  is  very  dark  and  the  Indians  say  that 
is  because,  man_\'  years  ago,  an  Otter  and  his  three 
brothers,  who  were  very  light,  stole  the  sister  of 
three  brothers,  who  always  lived  in  the  woods 
upon  thi'  earth.  I  hey  took  her  into  their  dark 
den  to  live,  and  when  her  brothers  finally  found 
where  she  was  they  went  down  to  rescue  her. 

I  he  sister  told  her  brothers  how  unkind  all  the 
Otters  but  the  darkest  had  been.  1  he  brothers 
were  very  angry  and,  as  the  Otters  came  into  their  den,  one  by  one,  the  brothers  killed  .ill 
but  the  dark  and  homely  one.  That  is  why  all  Otters  are  dark  to  this  day;  and  if  the  dark 
one  had  not  been  so  kind  and  good,  we  might  not  know  anything  about  the  Otter  to-day. 
At  least,  that  is  what  the  Indians  say. 


•-..•■ 


,    ^^u^1 


OTTER 


RACCOON  AND  OPOSSUM 


(ROWLING  about  in  wet  places,  along  the  edges  oi  swamps,  with  his  clumsy  yet 
deliberate  ""ait,  never  discouraged  in  his  hunt,  we  find  the  little  raccoon.  He  is 
always  ready  to  eat  anything,  from  a  hare  to  the  green  corn  which  the  weary  farmer 
tries  so  hard  to  protect,  first  from  the  crows  and  in  the  fall  from  the  raccoon. 

But  the  raccoon  is  a  clean  little  fellow.     When  he  kills  his  meat  he  will  not  eat 

it  until  he  has  taken  it  down  to  the  water  to  wash.      He  takes  the  meat  in   his  two 

forepavvs  and  drags  it  about  in  the  water  until  the  meat  is  white  and  flabby;   then  he  will 

eat  it.      In  the  South  the  negro  hunts  this  fellow  for  food  and  calls  him  "Brother  'Coon." 

His  general  color  is  gray  and  black;  the  fur  is  soft  and  long;  while  his  very  bushy  tail 

has  alternate  black  and  gray  rings,  from  the  base  to  the  tip. 

A  live  'coon  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  pets  a  boy  could  have.  All  he  wants  is  enough 
to  eat  and  a  good  big  place  to  hide  away  in.  He  loves  a  hollow  tree;  but  he  prefers  living 
in  a  cave  in  the  rocks,  if  he  can  find  a  large  one. 

How  the  farmers  hate  the  raccoon  !  He  loves  "Teen  corn  and  he  will  ruin  all  the  ears  he 
can  reach. 

Some  say  the  raccoon  is  related  to  the  bear  family,  though  he  is  much  smaller.  He  does 
have  a  great  deal  of  the  bear  about  him,  and  the  Indians  tell  of  a  time  when  he  was  as  big 
as  a  bear.  At  that  time,  he  was  traveling  through  the  woods  and  came  to  the  home  of  a 
poor  old  woman.    As  it  was  very  cold,  he  went  into  the  house;   ami  after  he  had  got  warm, 


I 


RACCOON    AND    OPOSSUM 

he  said :  "Old  woman,  it  you  will  rid  me  of  the  insects  on  my  hack,  I  will  give  you  my  mitttens." 

1  he  old  woman  did  as  the  Coon  asked,  because  she  needed  the  mittens  to  trade  for  food 

for  her  babies.  Alter  she  had  finished,  the  (  oon  gave  her 
his  mittens  and  the  old  woman  started  ofl  right  alter  the 
Raccoon  left  the  house.  You  remember  it  was  very  cold; 
soon  the  Raccoons  hands  were  nearly  frozen  and  hi'  started 
back  to  make  the  old  woman  give  him  back  his  mittens;  hut 
she  had  gone  to  exchange  them  tor  food.  When  the  Rac- 
coon reached  the  house  and  the  children  would  not  give  up 
the  mittens,  he  was  very  savage  and  killed  all  hut  one  ol  the 
babies;   then  he  became  frightened  and  ran  away. 

When  the  mother  reached  home,  she  saw  'coon  tracks  all 
around  the  house,  and  when  she  went  inside  she  found  all  her 
babies  dead  but  one.  She  ran  alter  the  'Coon,  following  his 
tracks,  until  she  caught  him.  I  hen  she  whipped  and  whipped 
him,  until  the  Raccoon  became  one  oi  the  small  animals;  and 
all  the  stripes  on  him  now  are  the  black-and-blue  marks  from 
the  whipping  that  was  given  him.  I  he  Indians  are  sure  that 
is  the  reason  lor  the.  Raccoon  s  being  so  small  ;  and  suivlv  the 
Raccoon  deserved  being  punished  tor  his  ingratitude. 

Like  the  bear,  too,  this  little  fellow  eats  animals  as  well   as 

vegetables.      lie  shuttles  through   the   woods  eating  berries, 

opossum  nuts,    frogs,   serpents,   and    anything   else    he-   can    find.      Me 


•  I 


RACCOON    AND    OPOSSUM 

catches  fish,  waiting  at  the  edge  of  a  stream  for  a  fish  to  swim  by,  when  Mr.  'Coon  reaches 
down  and  grabs  it  with  his  sharp  claws. 

He  prowls  about  at  night,  frightening  the  tree-dwellers;  for  they  are  blind  at  night  and 
the  raccoon  can  see  everything.  But  the  raccoon  babies  are  blind,  just  like  kittens,  and  then 
Mr.  Coon  must  be  careful  or  some  other  prowling  forest-dweller  will  give  him  a  scare. 

When  cold  weather  comes  on,  the  raccoons  curl  themselves  up  and  go  to  sleep;  but  they 
do  not  sleep  all  winter  as  the  bears  do.  I  hey  sleep  a  week  or  so  at  a  time.  When  a  warm 
spell  comes  on  some  of  them  will  venture  out,  only  to  go  to  sleep  again  with  the  next  cold 
spell.  At  the  first  sign  of  spring,  the  raccoon  is  out  in  the  bogs  ami  swamps,  hunting  snakes 
and  frogs. 

The  raccoon  is  not  the  only  night  prowler  the  tree-dwellers  have  to  fear,  for  the  opossum 
also  sleeps  all  day  and  hunts  at  night.  Yet  the  two  are  entirely  different.  The  opossum  has 
a  tail  which  he  can  twist  around  the  limb  of  a  tree,  while  he  hangs  down  to  rob  nests  or 
gather  fruits.  He  lives  principally  upon  insects,  fruits,  nuts,  berries,  mice  and  bugs;  but  he 
loves  sweet  potatoes  and  other  things  that  he  can  steal  from  the  farmyard.  No  wonder 
farmers  e'et  discouraged  when  the  wild  folk  make  their  homes  on  his  farm! 


CANADA   LYNX   AND   PORCUPINE 


I  IK  flat-faced,  savage  Canadian  lynx,  with  its  great  muscular  legs,  travels  with 

silent  leaps  over  the  snow  in  winter  or  amid  dry  leaves,  without  making  the  slight- 
est noise,  in  summer  and  fall.    His  soft,  gray  fur  hides  him  so  well  that  it  is  hard 
to  see  him,  even  at  short  distances;   but  the  wood  folk  know  they  have  him  to 
fear,  and  as  they  love  their  wild  lite  as  well   as  their  enemy,  the  lynx,  loves  his, 
they  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  this  silent  shadow  oi  death. 
Like  all  the  cat  family,  he  can  climb  any  tree,  and  he  feasts  upon  squirrels  and  birds;  or 
he   stretches    himself    upon    the   limb,  among   the   lower  branches,  and    pounces  upon   any 
unwary  creature  that  passes  his  way. 

During  the  long,  cold  winters  he  almost  starves;  for  days  he  can  find  nothing  but 
scraps  that  have,  perhaps,  been  cast  aside  by  some  hunter  during  a  more  plentiful  season. 
The  lynx  wanders  through  the  dense,  dark  northern  forests,  through  the  long,  cold  nights 
and  the  short  clays,  starving,  sometimes  for  days  at  a  time,  but  never  losing  courage,  know- 
ing that  pretty  soon  the  birds  will  come  hack  from  their  warm  home  in  the  South,  and  the 
animal  people  will  venture  out  again;   then  there  will  be  plenty  for  .ill  to  eat. 

During  the  whole  year  in  the  North,  the  lynx  depends  a  great  deal  upon  rabbits;  but 
every  few  years  the  rabbits  seem  to  disappear.  Nobodv  knows  why;  it  may  be  from  dis- 
ease. At  this  time,  however,  many  lynx  starve  to  death.  Often  in  their  desperate  effort 
to  get  food  they  pounce  upon  the  porcupine;  but  then  they  get  their  mouths  so  lull  of  quills 
that  thev  cannot  eat  and  starve  to  death. 


^EWMFflrtfUj 


CANADA    LYNX    AND    PORCUPINE 


Porcupines   are  of  a  dark  brown  or  nearly  black  color.      1  hey  are  burrowing  animals, 
though  they  sometimes  make  homes  in  rocky  caves,  and  are  as  much  at  home  in  the  tree- 
tops   as   on   the  ground.      They  strip  the   pine-trees   of    their   bark, 
killing  them  for  a  meal. 

The  porcupine's  Hesh  is  sometimes  eaten;  though  there  is  a  preju- 
dice against  it  as  food.  In  one  of  our  trips  in  the  \\  est,  we  killed 
and  ate  a  young  porcupine,  and  the  meat  was  tender  and  juicy,  very 
much  like  young  pork. 

I  lis  sense  ol  sight  is  very  poor  and  he  seems  dull-witted.  lie 
moves  about  slowly,  perhaps  because  with  his  spmcs  as  weapons  he 
fears  nothing.  He  does  not  throw  his  spines,  as  is  generally  sup- 
posed, but  when  attacked  by  an  enemy  he  erects  his  quills  and  then 
gives  a  strong  sidewise  slap  with  his  tail.  I  his  drives  the  < j mils 
mto  his  enemy. 

The  porcupine  quills  are  very  dangerous.  Each  quill  is  fitted 
with  numerous  barbs  that  make  it  almost  impossible  to  pull  them 
out;  m  tact,  they  work  their  way  into  the  body,  and  finally  penetrate 
a  vital  spot,  and  the  hunter  has  to  give  up  his  lite  tor  the  meal  he 
only  halt  enjoyed  many  weeks  before. 

I  hough  naturally  a  nocturnal  animal,  the  porcupine  often  prowls 
about  by  day,  visiting  the  camps  of  hunters,  eating  all  the  salt  he  can 
find.  He  eats  the  bacon  and  everything  leather  he  can  find:  he 
even  eats  the  ax  helves.      Perhaps  he  prefers  traveling  in  the  day- 


PORCUI'INE 


CANADA    LYNX    AND    PORCl  IPINE 


time,  because  most  of  his  enemies  prowl  about  at  night,  especially  his  most  persistent  enemy, 
the  fisher,  who  manages  to  get  the  porcupine  by  the  throat,  where  he  is  least  protected  by 
spines. 

When  the  very  cold  weather  comes  on,  the  porcupine  curls  up  in  a  hall,  with  his  spines 
toward  the  opening  oi  his  den,  making  him  sate  from  almost  any  attack,  trying  to  sleep  and 
forget  his  hunger  until  a  warm  sua])  comes  along.  I  hen  he  gets  out  to  feed  upon  the  hark 
ot  trees,  so  that  he  can  withstand  the  cold  for  another  spell,  hut  he  fears  nothing,  and  goes 
hack  to  sleep,  hoping  that  spring  will  hurry  along  so  that  he  can  enjoy  the  fresh  green 
leaves  attain. 


SLOTH   AND   BAY   LYNX 


IH31IHE  sluggish  sloth  is  a  stupid  creature  that  passes  all  the  day  and  most  of  the 
night  hanging,  back  downward,  from  the  branch  of  a  tree.  1 1  is  long,  slender 
limbs  terminate  in  long,  hooklike  claws. 

lie  is  so  helpless  and  so  weak,  so  unable  to  protect  himself  from  his  enemies, 
that  one  wonders  why  Dame  Nature  did  not  provide  him  with  an  armor  of 
spines  or  scales,  so  that  those  who  prey  upon  him  would  have  at  least  a  little 
trouble  to  kill  this  strange  creature.  Dame  Nature  has  helped  a  little;  tor,  in 
the  rough,  shaggy,  grayish  brown  coat,  lives  a  vegetable  growth  that  makes  him  look  as  if 
he  might  be  a  lichen-covered  knot  that  has  grown  on  the  limb. 

He  hangs  all  day,  and  during  the  night  travels  slowly  through  the  upper  branches,  hunt- 
ing for  food;  of  which  he  finds  plenty,  for  he  lives  mostly  upon  leaves  and  buds,  although 
he  also  eats  other  vegetable  matter  that  he  may  find. 

He  is  wholly  unfitted  to  travel  upon  the  ground,  as  his  legs  are  too  weak  to  carry  his 
body.  He  could  neither  run  nor  hide  from  an  enemy  (his  speed  is  unbelievably  lacking; 
he  travels,  perhaps,  half  a  mile  in  twenty-four  hours).  He  is  too  weak  to  burrow  and  too 
large  to  get  into  a  hole. 

Because  he  finds  it  so  difficult  to  travel  over  land,  we  wonder  if  he  must  always  go  without 
water;  but  tor  this  Dame  Nature  provides.  In  the  countrv  he  loves  and  calls  his  own,  there 
is  very  heavy  dew.     In  the  early  morning  the  sloth  gathers  together  all  the  leaves  within  his 


SLOTH    AND    BAY    I.YNX 


reach  and  drinks  this  heavy  dew.     It  is  all  the  moisture  he  needs,  besides  what  he  can  get 
from  such  fruit  as  he  will  find  in  his  search  for  food. 

On  account  oi  the  strange  development  oi  his  teeth,  the  sloth  belongs  to  a  family  called 
Edentata.  lie  has  n<>  front  teeth,  and  his  cheek  teeth,  growing  throughout  his  life,  have 
never  developed  roots  nor  have  they  any  outside  coating. 

1  he  sloth  is  one  ot  the  very  lowest  types  of  animals,  having  a  very  small  brain. 

Sloths  hunt  at  night.  It  is  good  there  are  lew  birds 
ot  ]>ivv  in  the  forests  these  poor  beasts  inhabit,  or  they 
would  have  very  little  chance  to  live,  tor  the  sloths  climb 
way  out  to  the  end  ot  a  limb,  so  they  will  he  sate  and 
out  ot  the  way  of  the  bay  lynx,  who,  like  most  other 
animal  people,  counts  the  sloth  a  great  delicacy. 

The  bay  lynx,  called  also  wildcat,  bobcat,  catamount, 
and  red  lynx,  is  a  big,  savage,  stub-tailed  cat,  who  does 
not  hunt  in  the  forests  all  the  time,  but  also  finds  food 
in  clearings,  overgrown  with  brambles,  and  new  growth. 
lie  travels  about,  feeling  under  the  bushes  for  rabbits 
and  other  small  game  that  might  be  hidden  there. 
Like  the  rest  of  tin'  cat  family,  he  likes  mice  and  will 
watch  for  them,  or  for  small  birds  or  squirrels,  to  come  out  of  their  hiding-places  and  serve 
a  meal,  as  patiently  as  a  house  cat  watches  for  a  mouse. 

He  wanders  about  in  the  snow  all  winter,  hunting  for  food,  still-hunting  mostly,  as  he  is 
not  as  swift  a  runner  as  the  fox  or  weasel,  and   depends  upon    pouncing   upon   his   prey. 


BAY    I.YNX 


SLOTH    AND    BAY   LYNX 


When  the  bay  lynx  hears  a  noise,  he  crouches  and  waits  to  see  if  the  comer  be  friend  or 
toe.  If  it  be  foe,  he  will  disappear  like  a  shadow;  but  if  everything  remains  quiet  he  will 
travel  on,  giving  a  wild  yell  even-  once  in  a  while,  to  frighten  any  wild  life  that  may  be  hid- 
ing near  by. 

In  the  spring,  the  bay  lynx,  like  the  domestic  cat,  loves  to  eat  the  blossoms  of  the  fragrant 
catnip  and  to  roll  in  the  leaves  of  this  plant. 


JAGUAR   AND  SKUNK 


LARGE,  tawny-yellow  cat,  with  black  spots  on  his  back  and  light-centered 

rosettes  on  his  side,  is  the   jaguar,  the  king  oi  the  Mexican  jungles.      He 

sometimes  finds  his  way  across  the  border,  into  the  southern  States;   but  he 

is  very  common  in  Mexico,  living  in  the  dense   jungles,  where  he  follows  a 

regular  trail,  and  preys  upon  all  the  wood  folk.      He  is  the  largest  ol  the  cat 

family  in  North  America,  a  powerfully  built  animal,  with  a  head  seemingly 

too  large  tor  its  body  and  a  tail  entirely  too  short. 

Like  all  the  cat  family,  he  is  a  great  climber,  and  depends  upon  his  ability  to  climb  when 

lie  attacks  and  seizes  a  peccary.       1  hese  savage,  tearless  little  beasts  travel   in   droves,  and 

are  bound  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  brother.      I  hey  will  drive  the  big  jaguar  up  a  tree,  and 

keep  him  there  until  hunger  forces  them  on,  in  search  ol  food. 

In  Mexico  the  jaguar  is  known  as  "el  tigre";  and  although  a  most  powerful,  fierce,  and 
dangerous  beast,  like  all  other  wild  creatures  he  has  learned  to  tear  man  and  will  seldom 
attack. 

A  hunter  friend  tells  a  story  ol  an  alligator  hunt.       IK'  was  hunting  tor  market,  and  as 
he  was  watching  the  river  tor  his  game  he  heard  a  slight  noise  and  a  movement  behind  him. 
I  urning  suddenly,  he  saw  a  large  jaguar  in  position  to  spring.      He  felt  that  he  had  had  a 
narrow  escape,  though  he  said  he  was  not  sure  whether  the  jaguar  was  after  him  or  the  alli- 
gators he  was  hunting. 


JAGUAR    AND   SKUNK 

Like  all  others  of  the  cat  family,  the  jaguar  is  a  good  fisherman,  and  will  catch  fish  with 
Ins  claws. 

The  jaguar  follows  his  well-beaten  trails  through  the  jungles,  and  feeds  upon  the  many 
wild  beasts  unfortunate  enough  to  cross  his  path;  but  he  also  is  hunted.  The  Mexican 
Indians  hunt  him  with  a  spear  about  eight  teet  long.  They  follow  a  trail  until  they  come 
upon  the  jaguar.  When  he  turns  the  Indian  stoops  very  low,  holding  the  blunt  end  of  his 
spear  solidly  to  the  ground.  1  he  jaguar,  realizing  he  is  caught,  prepares  to  spring;  and 
the  Indian  directs  the  long  weapon  so  that  the  jaguar  when  he  springs,  impales  himself 
upon  the  spear. 

The  beautiful  little  black  and  white  kitten,  with  its  large  bushy  tail,  would  make  a  pretty 
little  pet,  were  it  not  capable  ot  a  most  terrible  revenge  when  it  gets  angry.  The  almost 
suffocating  odor  which  the  skunk  or  polecat  sends  forth  to  defend  himself  against  most 
enemies  is  so  offensive  that  the  pretty  pet  is  better  left  to  his  forest  home.  Still,  he  is  hunted 
and  trapped  now  to  furnish  furs  for  the  market,  as  the  otter,  the  beaver  and  the  marten  are 
getting  more  scarce. 

On  account  of  his  natural  defense,  the  wood  folk  are  careful  not  to  disturb  the  skunk 
much,  lest  they  oret  their  noses  full  of  the  terrible  odor  and,  like  hunting  dog's,  will  be  unable 
to  follow  a  scent  tor  several  daws.  This  is  why  the  skunk  has  become  so  lazv,  slow,  and 
fearless,  that  it  does  not  even  run  from  man. 

While  out  among  the  Indians,  a  hunter  was  lying  asleep  in  his  tepee  when  he  was  awak- 
ened by  what  sounded  like  an  Indian  dog,  chewing  some  game  he  had  brought  in  that  day. 
Upon  investigation  he  found  that  a  skunk  hail  come  into  his  tepee  for  the  meat.  He 
slipped  outdoors  and  shouted  and  screamed  to  frighten  the  intruder;   but  the  skunk  finished 


IAC.UAR    AN!)    SKUNK 


his  meal,  and  then   came  leisurely  out  oi   the  tepee  and  slowly  waddled  down  to  his  hole 

below  the  river  bank. 

He  feeds  upon  everything  that  he  can  catch  easily  while  hunting  at   night;   and  as  soon 

as   his  1  tables   arc-  old  enough  to  be  taught,  they  ;md  their  mother  may  be  seen  traveling 

through  the  woods,  single  hie. 

They  live  in  burrows,  where  they  retreat 
for  the  winter's  sleep  in  the  late  fall,  after  they 
have  become,  so  tat  that  they  cannot  exert 
themselves  to  get  food. 

In  the  old  times,  hunters  and  trappers 
occasion  all}'  were  bitten  by  skunks  on  the  nose 
and  ears  while  sleeping,  and  they  would  die 
of  rabies.  For  this  reason  every  one  feared 
the  skunk,  and  imagined  the  bite  of  all  skunks 
produced  rabies.  There  is,  occasionally,  an 
epidemic  of  hydrophobia  among  skunks,  and 

then  they  are  dangerous  to  both  man  and  animal  people ;   1  tut  the  skunk  bite  does  not  always 

produce  rabies  and  many  people  are  now  devoting  their  time  to  raising  skunks  for  the  market 

of  skins. 


SktJNk 


ftu&mm 


PUMA   AND   PECCARY 


_ ■  .'/^HHE  puma  belongs  to  the  cat  family  and  is  found  all  through  the  Western 
States.  He  measures  six  or  eight  feet,  a  third  of  which  is  tail.  He 
has  such  a  small  head  that  hunters  are  often  deceived  as  to  his  size  and 
strength  and  get  into  a  great  deal  ol  trouble. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  bloodthirsty  of  animals,  traveling  only  at  night, 
and  very  cautiously.  He  selects  ledges  of  rock  near  a  stream,  where  ani- 
mals stop  to  drink,  and  watches  tor  his  prey.  He  will  wait  patiently,  leav- 
ing no  signs  of  his  presence,  until  some  unfortunate  animal  is  directly  under  him,  and  then 
he  springs  upon  his  prey.  He  digs  his  cruel,  sharp,  hooked  claws  deeply  into  the  neck  of 
his  victim,  and  drinks  its  blood,  even  though  the  creature  may  plunge  about  and  brush 
through  bushes  in  its  endeavor  to  escape  this  terrible  persecutor.  At  last,  exhausted  from 
the  loss  of  blood,  the  poor  victim  tails,  discouraged,  only  to  be  left;  for  the  puma  has  satis- 
fied his  hunger,  and  is  ready  to  wait  for  new  prey.  He  seems  to  have  an  inborn  desire  to 
kill. 

He  is  feared  by  the  human  race  in  thinly  settled  parts  of  the  country;  and  when  people 
hear  the  weird  cry  of  "  E — Emew"  they  keep  close  watch,  for  they  know  that,  under  cover 
of  night,  this  tawny  enemy  will  attack  calves,  sheep,  colts,  and  small  quadrupeds  generally. 
Herders  often  have  found  more  than  fifty  of  their  herd  killed  in  a  single  night.  Still,  the 
savage  creature  is  a  coward  and  has  rarely  been  known  to  attack  a  man. 


PUMA    AND    PhCCARY 

Fortunately,  this  destructive  beast  lias  a  very  poor  sense  of  smell,  or  the  herders  would 
have  little  chance  to  overcome  him.  He  cannot  smell  poison  hidden  in  tempting  pieces  of 
meat  left  for  this  gluttonous  beast  to  devour. 

The  puma,  known  also  as  cougar,  painter,  panther,  mountain-lion,  and,  as  the  Sioux 
Indians  say,  E-mew,  from  his  cry,  travels  through  the  wooded  and  rocky  country,  slinking, 
creeping  along,  sometimes  surprising  the  lighting  little  peccaries.  This  bloodthirsty,  savage 
little  beast  is  armed  with  tusks,  sharp  enough  to  make  terrible  wounds,  and  the  cowardly 
puma  dare  not  accept  the  challenge'  from  this  creature  of  dauntless  courage  and  sharp  tusks. 

The  puma  kittens,  in  their  baby-clothes  of  stripes  along  then"  sides  and  big  spots  all  over, 
making  of  them  miniature  leopards,  frisk  about  and  play  in  the  open,  while  tin-  mother 
watches  from  a  nearby  rock.  Sometimes  the  kittens,  careless  of  danger,  wander  too  far  off; 
and  then,  being  very  easily  tamed,  tliev  are  lassoed  and  dragged  home  by  Indian  hunters, 
to  afford  the  little  Red  people  play-fellows.  1  he  kittens  soon  learn  to  forget  their  forest 
homes  and  become  very  happy  and  contented  in  the  adopted  ones  with   their  new  friends. 

The  puma  is  hunted  with  dogs.  These  he  would  willingly  attack,  did  he  not  know  they 
were  followed  by  the  hunter  with  his  firearms.  When  the  dogs  have  cornered  him,  he  will 
climb  a  tree  with  the  agility  of  a  cat  not  hugging  the  tree  as  a  man  does,  but  digging  his 
claws  into  the  trunk  and  running  up.  Then  he  crouches  on  a  limb  and  defies  his  pur- 
suers; but  his  threats  are  soon  ended  by  the  approach  of  the  hunter,  who  shoots  to  kill  ;  for, 
if  only  wounded,  this  bloodthirsty,  gluttonous  creature  will  make  a  savage  and  desperate 
fight  for  life. 

The  California  Indians  explain  this  savage  nature  in  their  folk  lore.  There  was  a  time, 
they  say,  when  no  animal  knew  which   should   be  food   for  the  other,  and   they  begged  the 


PUMA    AND    PECCARY 

Great  Spirit  to  tell  them.  The  Great  Spirit  called  an  Indian  to  him  and  said,  "  Make  many 
bows  and  arrows,  from  a  very  large  to  a  tiny  one,  and  distribute  them  among  the  animal 
people.  The  one  receiving  the  largest  bow  will  have  the  greatest  strength  and  will  eat  all 
animals  for  meat."  The  Indian  did  as  he  was  bidden,  and  at  the  appointed  time  all  the 
animals  came  forward  to  meet  him.  He  distributed  the  bows  and  gave  the  biggest  one 
to  the  Puma.  Ever  since  then  the  Puma  has  had  great  strength,  and  all  animals  have  been 
his  prey. 


PUMA 


OCELOT  AND  MUSKRAT 


&?s*> 


II  H  small,  catlike  animal,  with  spots  on  its  side  and  irregular  stripes  of  black 
and  white  running  lengthwise  along  its  hack,  is  the  little  ocelot.  He  reminds 
you  ol  the  leopard  at  first  sight,  but  he  is  much  smaller  and  no  two  of  them  are 
marked  exactly  alike. 

His  whole  length,  including  fifteen  inches  of  tail,  is  forty-five  inches,  and  his 
height  will  average  thirteen  inches.  Very  little  is  known  of  this  member  of  the 
cat  family.  Like  the  jaguar,  whose  hunting  grounds  are  also  his,  he  climbs  trees,  hunting 
for  birds,  or  hides  in  the  branches,  watching  for  small  quadrupeds,  upon  which  he  preys. 

He  is  a  treacherous,  ill-tempered,  and  bad  fellow;  yet  in  the  time  of  the  Aztecs,  he  was 
used  by  those  Indians  to  hunt  birds.  He  was,  and  is,  killed  a  great  deal  by  the  Indians, 
who,  on  account  of  its  decorative  qualities,  use  his  skm  for  clothing.  No  doubt,  when  the 
ocelot  is  better  known,  we  will  find  some  very  interesting  facts  to  tell  about  this  beast. 

Muskrat,  or  Musquash,  as  the  Algonquin  Indians  called  him,  is  a  heavily-built,  broad- 
headed  and  short-necked  fellow,  with  short  limbs  and  small  but  sharp  eyes.  His  beaver- 
like, dark  brown  fur  is  much  used,  as  it  is  cheaper  and  more  plentiful  than  that  of  other 
small  fur-bearing  animals. 

Both  sexes  have  glands  for  secreting  the  musky  substance  from  which  they  take  their 
name. 

1  he  muskrat  looks  enough  like:  the  beaver  to  be  his  cousin ;   yet,  while  the  beaver  refuses 


OCELOT   AND   MUSKRAT 

to  stay  in  any  woods  where  man  lias  found  his  way,  the  muskrat  has  quickly  learned  that, 
though  man  is  an  enemy  and  traps  him  several  months  of  the  year,  his  natural  wood-folk 
enemies  disappear  with  the  advance  of  civilization. 

The  muskrats  have  never  learned  to  build  dams  like  the  beaver,  so  they  build  their 
houses  in  still  waters  and  swamps.  1  hese  houses  are  made  of  mud  and  sod,  or  of  the  cut- 
down  rushes  that  grow  in  the  swamps.  They  usually  build  them  two  stories  high;  the 
upper  story  being  ventilated  by  a  short  passage,  leading  down  below.  They  always  have 
several  runways  from  the  houses,  leading  to  other  rush  houses  and  also  to  underground 
houses.  I  he  upper  room  is  lined  with  soft  grass  and  moss  and  is  above  the  water-line. 
Inside  of  this  soft-lined  room,  southeast  of  the  center,  the  muskrat  builds  his  nest  and 
spends  the  greater  part  of  the  winter,  hardly  knowing  how  stormy  the  weather  may  be  out- 
side.     Mere,  also,  the  young  are  born. 

The  muskrats  always  leave  air-holes;  but  if  there  should  be  too  little  air  under  the  ice, 
they  need  only  expel  the  air  from  their  lungs  against  the  under  surface  of  the  ice  and  it  will 
be  purified  verv  quickly  by  its  contact  with  the  freezing  water. 

The  only  enemies  they  have  to  tear,  m  the  winter,  are  the  otter  and  the  mink,  who  come 
to  the  water  to  fish,  tor  neither  objects  to  a  good  dinner  of  muskrat,  if  he  can  catch  one. 
The  hungry  old  lynx  also  prowls  about,  in  his  almost  vain  search  for  food;  but  the  musk- 
rat  does  not  fear  him,  because  the  muskrats  house  is  so  solidly  frozen  that  the  lynx  cannot 
scratch  nor  dig  it  open.  These  rodents,  when  they  inhabit  streams  with  high  banks,  do 
not  trouble  to  build  houses,  but  burrow  under  the  banks  to  make  a  home. 

Durino-  the  summer  months,  the  muskrat  must  look  out  for  many  enemies.  The  oreat 
owl  goes  hooting  through  the  forest  and,  with  his  eagle  eyes,  keeps  watch  for  any  muskrat 


OCKLOT    AND    MUSKKA1 

unfortunate  enough  to  he  caught  dozing.      The  owl  counts  the  muskrat  a  great  delicacy  and 
lie  will  watch  for  hours  to  catch  one. 

When  the  muskrat  catches  sight  of  this  enemy,  he  gives  the  water  a  number  of  good 
whacks  with  his  tail,  warning  the  whole  colons-  of  danger,  and  it  is  not  long  before  every 
muskrat  has  jumped  into  the  water  and  is  safely  hidden  in  his  underground  home.  Here 
Mr.  Muskrat  and  his  family  least  upon  great  quantities  of  clams  and  such  vegetable  matter 
as  they  teel  like  eating,  enjoying  their  dinner  all  the  more  because  they  have  just  escaped 
furnishing  a  dinner  lor  some  other  wild  creature. 


